What's the matter? You Don't Think You Deserve to Be Loved?
by MCMGlove
Summary: Castiel is a perfect kid with perfect grades. However, his life is far from perfect. Growing up in a small town in Alabama, were being gay is as big a scandal as robbing a bank, Castiel has had to endure an ungodly amount of bullying. And his number one tormentor? None other than his neighbor, Dean Winchester, one of the most popular boys at school.
1. Intro

His whole life he was told to stay away from Dean Winchester. Ever since he was a kid his

parents had warned him not to get mixed up with anything that 'Winchester boy' was doing

because he was never up to anything good. And for a long time, Castiel Novak listened. He

listened even when Dean graduated from the class clown in elementary school, to resident bad

boy in middle school and finally to the hot jock with decent grades in high school. Castiel had

seen firsthand what Dean Winchester was capable of, having lived next door to him since he was

born. Dean might have had everyone fooled into thinking he had turned over a new leaf but

Castiel knew better. He knew all too well that underneath Dean's all American pretty boy exterior

there was something rugged…something dark. Castiel could see it lurking in Dean's piercing

green eyes. He just couldn't figure out what it was. And even though Castiel would deny it

passionately, Dean fascinated him. For a long time he had wanted to know what made Dean

Winchester tick. Hell, maybe Castiel had wanted to know from the first day he had laid eyes on

him. But that was impossible. He had to listen to his parents, to his gut. Well, at least that was the

plan.

Until senior year.


	2. Falling for the Wrong Person

_Author's notes: Hey everybody! I already have this story posted on AO3 but I thought I'd post it here too for shits and giggles. Lol Hope you all enjoy!_

"One more year in this God forsaken place and we will be on the road to college and it's going to be glorious." Pamela reassured herself, mostly because Castiel wasn't listening, as she shoved a couple of textbooks in her locker.

Pamela, who often complained about being forced to attend the, as she put it, monotonous, boring hell hole that was high school, was feeling especially apathetic that Friday. It was probably because she had no interest in spending the day learning mathematics and science when she was so close to her "time of freedom" as she referred to it known to everyone else as the weekend.

"Oh, and I hate you." She added her words receiving no reaction from her best friend who was standing next to her staring over at a group of boys who were hanging out in the hall before class.

"Castiel! Who are you looking at? Balthazar? I thought you said he wasn't your type." Pamela inquired snapping her fingers in front of Castiel's face.

Jumping slightly, Castiel whipped his head around looking at her with confusion.

"Huh?" He asked tilting his head to the side his left eyebrow raised.

"Seriously? Which one of those brain dead jocks has got you so distracted? Is it Balthazar?" Pamela asked again earning a sour look from her best friend.

"I'm not distracted, and if I was, Balthazar is definitely not the reason." Castiel told her irritably as he shut his locker.

"Oh really? So you weren't eye-fucking a member of the football team just now?" Pamela scoffed giving Castiel am 'I'm so done with your shit' look.

Pamela Barnes, who was all of about five foot nothing with long black hair, possessing enough sass to kill a man, was not one to be messed with. Having been Castiel's best friend since they were seven, she had mastered the art of being able to tell when he was lying. Not that it was hard though. Castiel couldn't tell a lie to save his life.

"I wasn't staring at Balthazar. Now, can we go to homeroom?" Castiel asked with the bitchest tone he could muster.

"Whatever." Pamela responded rolling her eyes. "I guess in the long run it's good you weren't checking out Balthazar. Or any member of the football team for that matter. You know, with the whole alpha male homophobic asshole thing they've all got going on."

Pamela did have a point. It was well known that the entire football team was homophobic not to mention epic jerks. Sadly enough that was just common place in Castiel's hometown of Anderson, Alabama. There was a grand total of 282 residents in Anderson and Castiel was convinced that maybe five of them at most weren't concerned with the sexual orientation of others. As for the rest, being gay was sinful and completely unacceptable as far as they were concerned.

Which made Castiel, being a homosexual male in a town of bigots, public enemy number one.

"Pretty much." Castiel agreed taking one last look over at the pack of football players. He knew he shouldn't have let his eyes wonder again. It was extremely risky, especially with there being some many of them but for some reason he couldn't stop himself.

Just as he was about to turn away, one of the boys caught his eye. The boy he had been staring at.

Dean Winchester.

Panic washed over Castiel but he couldn't make himself tear his gaze away from those bright green eyes. Those eyes which seemed to be studying him. Staring back, Castiel noticed that Dean was looking at him thoughtfully, almost unsure. More importantly, at least in Castiel's mind, Dean wasn't looking at him with hate. Just curiosity.

However, the longer their stare off went on, the more uncomfortable Castiel became.

Why was Dean staring at him like that? He thought biting his bottom lip nervously.

Then, much to Castiel's surprise, the answer to his question became painfully obvious when Dean's gaze traveled down his body giving him a thorough once over. The action had such an effect on Castiel that it sent a shiver up his spine. It was only then that he noticed the way Dean was looking at him was downright sinful.

Blush crept onto Castiel's cheeks as he quickly looked down at his feet unable to hold Dean's gaze any longer. His heart was beating so loudly in his ears that he barely heard the bell ring.

As all of the students in the hall started shuffling by making their way to homeroom Castiel forced himself to peel his eyes away from the floor his curiosity getting the better of him.

But when he looked up, Dean was no longer staring at him. No, now Dean was acting as though Castiel didn't even exist, walking with his buddies down the hall. His buddies who hadn't even notice the exchange of glances between the two of them.

Shaking his head, Castiel was suddenly all too aware of his best friend's presence. Remembering she had been standing by his side the entire time, Castiel looked over to see Pamela gawking at him in complete shock.

"What the hell was that?!" Pamela hissed.

"I…I have no idea." Castiel confessed running his hand through his messy black hair.

"Castiel Joseph Novak. How long have you been crushing on the quarterback? How long have you been into Dean freaking Winchester?!" Pamela asked in a hushed tone as they made their way to their classroom.

"Pam, can we not talk about this right now?" Castiel pleaded.

Reaching homeroom, the two friends sat down at their desks which they had picked at the beginning of the school year.

"Alright, fine." Pamela agreed after looking at her best friend thoughtfully for a few seconds. "But this is so not over. You are going to spill your guts to me after school, you got it?"

"I got it." Castiel conceded.

He knew he wasn't going to escape Pamela's interrogation and truth be told he needed to talk to someone. His obsession with Dean Winchester was getting way out of hand.

**XXXX**

Dean Winchester was a homophobic prick. Castiel was explicitly aware of that. He had teased Castiel unmercifully all throughout elementary school, middle school and now high school. Even before Castiel was able to understand and accept the fact that he was gay, Dean was there, mocking him and calling him terrible names.

So it was a real kick in the teeth, not to mention a huge pain in Castiel's ass that he had become so disturbingly attracted to the jackass that had made his life a living hell.

"Dean Winchester? Are you out of your mind?!" Pamela nearly yelled as she plopped down on Castiel's bed.

They had gone to Castiel's house after school that day because they knew no one would be home until late that evening and they would be able to talk freely.

"I'm beginning to think I might be." Castiel told her solemnly cuddling up next to his best friend.

"Castiel, how could you like him?" Pamela asked looking over at him. "He's done nothing but make your life miserable since we were little. He put your head in a toilet once for God's sake!"

Shooting Pamela a dirty look, Castiel scowled at the memory of his ten year old self being drenched in toilet water as Dean and his buddies laughed like hyenas.

"Do you two even talk? Seriously, where is this even coming from? And what was with him practically undressing you with his eyes today before homeroom?" Pamela continued bringing Castiel back to the present.

"I don't know, Pam. I wish I could explain it. And what makes it worse is no, we don't talk." Castiel confessed.

The last time Dean Winchester and he had participated in an actual conversation with each other, not including obstinacies on Dean's part, was years ago. Castiel remembered it vividly. Dean had been six at the time making Castiel five and they had been playing together in Castiel's back yard. Back in the day, as long as Dean wasn't around other kids, he was actually friendly toward Castiel. And on that specific day Dean had even let Castiel borrow his hot wheels to play with. But that was the last time he had hung out with Dean and most certainly the last time Dean had ever showed him any form of kindness.

"The only time he speaks to me is when he's telling me to get the F out of the way during PE. And as for what happened before homeroom…I…I don't even have words for that." Castiel said causing his best friend to groan in frustration.

"First of all, the 'F'? Really Castiel? You're 17 years old. Would it kill you to say fuck?" Pamela asked giggling as Castiel hit her with a pillow.

"I tell you about my unfathomable, not to mention potentially dangerous, crush on the most unlikely of boys and you're actually sitting there giving me crap for not cursing?" Castiel questioned incredulously.

When she turned 14, Pamela had taken up using colorful language but Castiel had not followed suit. Needless to say Pamela took it as a personal challenge vowing one day to bring Castiel over to the dark side. In actuality, Pamela just loved aggravating her best friend.

"Besides," Pamela said ignoring Castiel's complaint, "I thought Dean was straight? I mean lord knows he's always up to his eyeballs in pussy. Girls practically throw their underwear at him while he's walking down the hall at school." She mused.

Castiel, who tried desperately and failed not to flinch at the word 'pussy,' shrugged his shoulders without commenting.

"Sorry bestie. I just keep forgetting you are a good little boy and my vulgar mouth is an enemy of your innocence." Pamela laughed causing Castiel to roll his eyes.

"Oh shut up, Pam. I just don't see why cussing is necessary." Castiel chastised.

"Anyway." Pamela said ignoring her best friend once more, "Do you really think Dean "I could have any girl I want" Winchester could be bisexual?"

Castiel pondered Pamela's question for a moment before answering. He really wasn't sure if it was possible.

"No clue. All I know is that it's one thing to fall for a straight guy, been there done that, but it's a completely different ballpark to fall for a straight guy who has tortured you half your life for being gay." Castiel stated with a sigh. "Apparently I'm a masochist."

At his last statement, Pamela let out a small laugh.

"It would seem so." She agreed. "I'm sorry Castiel. Falling for Dean Winchester sucks on so many different levels. Even if he somehow turned out to be bisexual he'd never admit it. And even if by some extremely random cosmic act of God he did admit it he doesn't do long term relationships. He practically evented the phrase hit it and quit it."

"Wow. Thanks for the words of encouragement and your optimism Pam." Castiel deadpanned.

"I'm just sayin' babe. You are screwed." Pamela said with a sympathetic look.  
>"Think positive, Pamela." Castiel barked in agitation. "Now, let's go downstairs and grab some food."<br>"That's it Cassie. Ignore the problem and eat your feelings." Pamela teased as Castiel rolled off the bed but not before throwing a pillow at her.


	3. Not Acting Like Yourself

Pamela was right. Castiel was SO screwed.

He fully realized the truth of his best friend's words when he showed up to work Saturday morning.

It wasn't bad enough that Castiel had fallen for the biggest jackass he had ever met. That he had to see him every day at school. No, said jackass had to make matters so much worse by applying for a job at Castiel's work, the place he had been working since he was fifteen, and get the position. Castiel hadn't even been aware that there was a position open at the store. Oh, but you can bet when he walked in to work that day Dean "I'm so smug it will make you vomit" Winchester was right there to enlighten him.

"Novak, you know Dean Winchester? Don't you? He's my new mechanic," Bobby Singer informed Castiel as he entered the front office.

Taking time to assess the situation before responding, Castiel could only guess that Bobby was in the middle of showing Dean around the store and that was why they were near his work station.

Castiel worked at Singer's Auto Shop as a cashier. Bobby, who was a crotchety old man with a warm heart, took pity on Castiel when he was fifteen and gave him the job even though he knew next to nothing about cars. Thankfully, running the register and keeping the store clean were two things Castiel could and did do to perfection.

"Yeah. I know him. He's my neighbor," Castiel mumbled, looking down at the counter.

He had just clocked in and already he was having a crappy shift. And it was all Dean Winchester's fault.

"Ah, I see. Well, do me a favor and show Dean around the rest of the store. I just remembered I've got some bills that need to get done before the day is over," Bobby said, and before Castiel could protest he was locking himself away in his office.

It was the lamest excuse for getting out of walking Dean around the rest of the store Castiel had ever heard, but what could he do? Bobby was the boss after all.

Castiel's heart was thudding against his chest as his eyes moved from Bobby's closed office door to land on Dean.

And much to his surprise, Dean was eyeing Castiel oddly, standing there with his hands in his pockets.

Swallowing hard, Castiel noticed that Dean was wearing his typical faded jeans with holes in the knees and a tight black short sleeve shirt.

Of course he had to show up here of all places looking drop dead gorgeous, Castiel thought to himself.

Suddenly he heard the sound of Dean clearing his throat, snapping him back to reality.

Focusing on Dean, who was still looking at him but now with raised eyebrows, Castiel took a deep breath, regaining his composure. Lord, he must look like an idiot to Dean. Always gawking at him.

Pull yourself together, Novak! Castiel thought, scolding himself mentally.

Shaking his head, he pushed the embarrassing thought from his mind, determined to stop acting like he was star struck.

"You gonna show me the rest of the store like the boss asked or you just gonna stare at me all day?" Dean asked finally, breaking the silence between them.

"I'm not staring at you," Castiel lied.

"Whatever you say, sweetheart," Dean replied slyly.

Castiel then motioned for Dean to follow him, trying with all his might to ignore the fact that he had just called him 'sweetheart.'

It didn't take long for Castiel to show Dean the rest of the store. The facility wasn't that large to begin with. First, he took Dean to the garage, where he would be spending most of his time, and then showed him around the front desk just for the sake of wasting time.

"There is one more part of the store you might have to access, and that's the storage basement," Castiel told Dean as he led him down a dimly lit hallway. The hallway led to a flight of stairs that went downward about ten steps to their destination.

Personally, the storage basement scared the hell out of Castiel. It was small and dark, even with the light on, and always gave him goosebumps anytime he had to go down there.

"It's always cold in here for some reason," Castiel informed Dean as they both reached the bottom of the stairs. "And the lights flicker every now and again."

"Huh," Dean replied, looking around. "Any scratching noises like rats?"

Castiel, who was caught off guard by Dean's inquiry, shot him a confused look.

"Yeah…How'd you know that?" Castiel asked.

"Lucky guess," Dean said, shrugging the whole exchange off like it wasn't a big deal.

In response, Castiel titled his head to the side, narrowing his eyes. He wasn't buying Dean's lame answer.

"Don't give me that look," Dean barked, which startled Castiel. "Now, if you don't mind I'd like to get out of this creepy ass basement."

And before Castiel could say anything Dean was headed back up the stairs. Not wanting to be alone in what Castiel considered the scariest place he'd ever been, he darted up the stairs, hot on Dean's heels.

Shockingly, when Castiel reached the top, Dean was there waiting for him.

"Are we copacetic now? Or is there another sketchy room I need to see?" Dean asked, putting forth no effort to hide his contempt.

"Copacetic? That's a big word, Dean. Who taught you to use a dictionary?" Castiel spat, letting his temper get the best of him.

After all, Castiel had been dealing with Dean's bullshit for the better part of eleven years now and sometimes he let his anger cloud his judgment. Plus, they were in a professional setting. It wouldn't kill Dean to put his personal feelings aside while they had to work together. If Castiel could do it, then Dean definitely could.

"Watch your mouth, Novak," Dean warned, stepping closer to Castiel.

"Or what?" Castiel challenged, refusing to be intimidated.

Castiel's bravery seemed to throw Dean off, but only for a moment. In a flash, Dean had Castiel by the collar, yanking him forward. With his free hand Dean balled up his fist, preparing to punch Castiel, when they both heard the bell at the front desk ring. Luckily for Castiel, a customer had entered the store, ringing the bell when he or she had come across the empty front desk.

"This isn't over," Dean threatened, shoving Castiel as he released his collar.

Castiel, not wanting to press his luck, kept his mouth shut but could not resist the urge to roll his eyes at Dean's words.

He then pushed passed Dean, making his way to the front desk as quickly as he could. The customer who had rang the bell, Mr. Carpenter, was standing in the waiting room of the front office, his hands folded across his chest impatiently when Castiel finally arrived.

"Sorry about that, sir. I was showing a new employee the store," Castiel explained with a warm smile, receiving no pleasantries in return.

With his heart beating rapidly in his chest, Castiel focused on controlling his breathing, burying thoughts of Dean and his threats deep down in his mind. Covering up his fear and disappointment with professionalism was something Castiel had become quite good at considering the majority of the town disliked him.

"I'm not interested in your excuses, Mr. Novak. I just want to pick up my car," Mr. Carpenter said rudely, scowling at Castiel.

"Of course, sir. I just need you to sign this form," Castiel said, handing the man a clipboard and a pen, "and you'll be ready to go."

Taking the items, Mr. Carpenter signed the paper grumbling under his breath.

"Where is Mr. Singer?" Mr. Carpenter asked, handing the clipboard back to Castiel. "I want him to know about you neglecting your post."

"He's in his office. I'll get him for you." Castiel sighed, reluctantly heading out from behind the desk to get Bobby.

It was always the same. No matter how hard he worked to earn respect and acceptance, Castiel was targeted because of his sexual preference. Most people knew Castiel's sexual orientation and most people, like Mr. Carpenter, were always looking for ways to make his life harder because of it. If it had been anyone else who had kept him waiting for the short amount of time Castiel did, Mr. Carpenter would not have thought anything of it. But because it was Castiel, it was unacceptable.

Trying his best not to let his emotions show, Castiel was about to knock on Bobby's office door when he heard Dean's voice from behind him.

"Excuse me, Mr. Carpenter?" Dean said, causing the older man to look over at him.

Castiel then turned around to see the two of them shaking hands.

"Dean, how are you son? How's your dad?" Mr. Carpenter asked pleasantly.

"I'm doing well, sir. And the old man's just fine," Dean replied with a smile.

"Good to hear," Mr. Carpenter said, his mood visibly brightening.

"Sir, just to let you know, I'm afraid I'm the reason Castiel was away from the front desk earlier," Dean confessed suddenly, causing Castiel's jaw to hit the ground.

"Oh?" Mr. Carpenter asked, looking slightly to the side, narrowing his eyes at Castiel.

"Yes sir, he was showing me around the store. Today is my first day working here and Bobby wanted me to have a feel for the place," Dean explained, shooting Castiel an unreadable look.

"I see. No trouble, son. I think you will be a nice addition to this place. The service here now is…average at best," Mr. Carpenter said, shaking his head at Castiel. "I'm sure you'll be able to improve it by a long shot."

"Thank you, sir." Dean chuckled, noticing that Castiel was trying desperately not to explode with rage. "Your car is right this way," he added, pointing toward the door that led out to the garage.

"Thank you, Dean," Mr. Carpenter said with a smile before following Dean's directions and heading out the door.

Once Mr. Carpenter was gone, Dean quickly grabbed the keys to his car which Castiel had laid out on the desk earlier.

Then without a word, Dean gave Castiel a shit eating grin and a quick wink before joining Mr. Carpenter in the garage and leaving Castiel alone in the front office, completely bewildered.

**XXXX**

When Castiel got home from work that day at 5 p.m., his first order of business was to call Pamela and tell her about his crazy day.

"So you're saying Dean Winchester threatened to kick your ass and then turned around and saved it?" Pamela asked once Castiel had given her every last detail.

"Well, in theory, yes. I mean Bobby gets BS complaints about me all the time. He usually tells the customer he'll handle it and then just talks crap about them when they leave," Castiel explained, holding his cell phone up to his left ear as he stretched out onto his bed.

"I knew I like that old man." Pamela giggled, making Castiel smile.

"Yeah, he's a good guy," Castiel agreed. "But back to my point. Dean Winchester smiled and winked at me after stopping Mr. Carpenter from ripping me a new one."

"Calm down, Cassie. You sound like a thirteen year old girl with a case of puppy love. Oh Pam, he smiled at me, swoon!" Pamela mocked.

"For one, I loathe you. And for two, don't call me Cassie. You know can't stand that nickname," Castiel said bitterly, making Pamela laugh.

"Damn, Dean Winchester got you all riled up huh?" Pamela teased.

"Earth to Pamela! Dean Winchester, captain of team We Hate Castiel just did something nice and WINKED AT ME. This is serious!" Castiel said, yelling into his phone.

"Okay, okay!" Pamela yelled back. "I'm just messing with you. I know this is serious. So what do you think? Was he actually being nice or do you think it's some sort of sick game he's playing?"  
>Crap. Pamela brought up a really good point. What if Dean was setting him up for some cruel joke?<p>

"Awesome. Thanks for planting that seed of doubt, Pam. I needed that," Castiel said, sighing deeply.

"Aw, Castiel. I'm sorry. I just don't want you to get hurt. Besides, as your best friend and a person who is invested in your well-being, the fact that you even want to be in a relationship with that asshat Dean Winchester honestly makes me cringe," Pamela informed him.

"Let's get serious, Pammy. You don't have to worry about Dean and me 'cause it's never going to happen," Castiel admitted in a defeated tone.

"You listen to me Castiel Joseph Novak. Dean Winchester would be lucky to have a man like you. Don't waste your breath on that douche canoe. You'll find someone and he will be amazing," Pamela said sincerely.

"Thanks Pammy. Did I mention how glad I am to have you as a best friend?" Castiel asked, smiling brightly.

"Not hardly enough," Pamela joked. "No, but seriously. In a year we'll be in California getting a great tan and a higher education. And old what's-his-name will just be a bad memory. Hey, maybe you'll meet a hot surfer?" she added with a giggle.  
>"One could only hope," Castiel teased when he heard a knock at his door.<p>

"Dinner is ready, honey," Castiel heard his mother call from the hallway.

"Be right there," he answered, sitting up in his bed. "Welp, that's my cue. Food's on the table, I gotta go," Castiel told Pamela.

"Eat well my friend. And don't let Douchey Losechester get into your head," Pamela teased, making Castiel laugh at her inventive nickname.

"Douchey Losechester. Gold star for you, best friend. I'll talk to you late," Castiel said happily.

"Bye bestie," Pamela replied before they both hung up.


	4. Fantasy

The rest of Castiel's weekend was extremely uneventful and, before he knew it, he was back at school going through the old same routine. The only thing different about that particular Monday was that Pamela was not at school to share his misery. Instead, she was home "sick" while Castiel was left to face the long and boring school day alone. Without Pamela, Castiel was completely friendless in a sea of rude, angry and hormonal teenagers. And that was why his plan for lunch that day, rather than risk the chance of confrontation by eating in the cafeteria, was to hide behind the bleachers which were located at the far end of the football field. Teachers weren't overly fond of students going back there, mostly because their actions would go unseen, but Castiel's intentions were innocent so he wasn't too worried about the consequences if he somehow got catch. He just wanted to read his book and eat the sandwich his mother had made for him that morning. So when the bell rang for lunch at 12 p.m., that's exactly what Castiel did.

Moving quickly, so that he wasn't noticed, Castiel headed out to the bleachers while his fellow classmates made their way to the cafeteria.

Reaching his destination, Castiel breathed a sigh of relief, thankful to have some peace and quiet. He then sat his backpack down on the ground, unzipping it to retrieve his lunch and the book he had been reading.

Once he was all set, Castiel was just about to sit down on a patch of dying grass when he heard footsteps coming toward him. He barely had time to register what was going on when none other than Dean Winchester came sauntering around the corner, an unlit cigarette between his lips.

Dean, immediately spotting Castiel, stopped dead in his tracks, surprise written all over his face. Castiel could only imagine he wore a similar expression as the two of them eyed each other suspiciously.

"You stalking me?" Dean asked, walking forward so that he and Castiel were only a couple feet apart.

"Considering I was here first, I should be asking you that question," Castiel replied, nervously gripping the book that was in his hand tightly.

"Whatever," Dean grumbled, as he pulled a lighter out of the front right-hand pocket of his jeans.

Castiel, unsure what to do, could only stand there and watch as Dean lit the cigarette, taking a long drag off of it before exhaling the smoke through his nose.

"What are you doing back here anyway?" Dean asked, so suddenly that it made Castiel jump.

"Just wanted a quiet place to read," Castiel confessed shyly, holding up the book clenched firmly in his right hand.

"What's the book about?" Dean questioned, taking another drag off his cigarette before flicking the ashes on the ground.

Castiel, who never for one second would have thought Dean would ask him about what he was reading, froze on the spot.

"Nothing…" he finally managed to stutter after a moment. Castiel could feel the sweat beginning to pool on his forehead as he nervously shifted from foot to foot, avoiding eye contact with Dean.

"You're reading a book about nothing?" Dean asked, a mischievous smirk creeping onto his lips.

"It's…it's just really boring… I wouldn't want to waste your time with a synopsis," Castiel lied, holding the book to his chest.

"_Rush_?" Dean inquired, reading the title of the book aloud. "Well, if it's such a dull read then why did you start sweating bullets when I asked you about it?" he added, taking one last drag off his cigarette before dropping it on the ground, extinguishing it under his boot.

"I don't see how what I choose to read on my own personal time is any of your business, Dean," Castiel said defensively.

Instead of a witty comeback or sarcastic remark, Dean just laughed softly, licking his lips in the way he always did when he was contemplating doing something he shouldn't. Then, before Castiel could even blink, Dean reached forward, snatching the book from his grasp.

"Damn it, Winchester! Give it back!" Castiel seethed, attempting to grab the white paperback book Dean was holding above his head, just out of Castiel's reach.

"Language, Novak. Profanity, really? Coming out of your mouth? Now I've heard it all," Dean teased, pushing Castiel away as he turned the book over to read the back cover.

"Dean, please. Just leave me alone," Castiel begged as a last resort.

"Don't get your panties in a bunch, Novak. I won't tell anyone that you are reading dirty books." Dean laughed, scanning through the papers.

"Dean," Castiel warned.

"Blind holds and restrains? This is some kinky shit, Novak. I would have never pictured you as the type," Dean teased, finally handing Castiel his book back, who ripped it out of his hand angrily.

"I'm not the type… well at least I don't know if I'm the type." Castiel confessed, even though he had no earthly idea why he was volunteering such information. "It's just a fantasy," he added as he turned his back to Dean, putting the book safely in his backpack.

Upon his confession, Dean remained silent, which created what Castiel could only describe as a distressingly awkward pause. Terrified he had put himself in a dangerous situation, Castiel took a steadying breath, expecting the worst. Dean had beat him up for a lot less and here he was talking about sexual activities he fantasied about with a person who openly disagreed with his sexual orientation. What the hell was Castiel thinking?

"Listen, Dean. I didn't mean to make you uncomfortable…" Castiel began, his body trembling.

He was just about to turn and face the other boy when he felt two strong arms wrap around his waist.

"What the? Dean, what are you doing?" Castiel questioned, feeling Dean's body pressed against his.

"A fantasy, huh?" Dean asked, whispering softly into Castiel's ear, causing his skin to break out with goosebumps. "You fantasize about being restrained?" he added, tightening his grip on Castiel so that he couldn't move.

"Dean…" Castiel said breathlessly, unable to process what was happening.

"I asked you a question, Castiel," Dean replied, kissing Castiel's neck.

Gasping in surprise, Castiel fought to keep his heart rate under control. This had to be some sort of joke. Or Castiel was dreaming. That's it, he was dreaming. He had to be.

Either way, before Castiel could force himself to answer Dean the sound of people talking distracted him from the situation at hand.

Dean, hearing the commotion as well, immediately let go of Castiel, putting a decent amount of distance between them.

"Hey, Winchester! You back there?" Castiel heard a boy yell, and he could only assume it was one of Dean's football buddies.

"Yeah, I'll be right there!" Dean shouted back before looking over at Castiel, who had turned around, but was otherwise was still glued to the spot where Dean had left him.

"This isn't over." Dean whispered the words, agonizingly familiar. The only difference this time was the tone in which they were delivered. Whereas before they were a threat, it seemed that this time Dean was speaking them as a promise.

"So you keep saying." Castiel managed to retort, earning a small smile from Dean before he walked away, joining his friends on the other side of the bleachers.

Once he was sure Dean was gone, Castiel let out a long labored breath. Wiping the sweat off his forehead, Castiel tried to steady himself. He couldn't decide whether he should laugh, cry, vomit or faint. At the moment he was seriously contemplating all four.

It seemed that doing something to shock the hell out of Castiel and then leaving him confused and alone was Dean Winchester's new signature move.

Fan-freaking-tastic.

It took Castiel a good ten minutes to recover from Dean's advances, which had come out of nowhere, making the whole thing ten times more difficult to process. Not that Castiel was upset that Dean had come onto him. He was quite the opposite. And if it hadn't been the most bizarre thing to ever happen to him, Castiel might have done a victory dance. But the whole thing was far too strange to celebrate. Dean, in all of his eighteen years, had never let on that he was ever attracted to anyone that didn't wear a mini skirt and rock a pair of boobs. Yet, all of a sudden he was hitting on Castiel? Talk about a red flag. More importantly, it all led to the most disturbing fact of the whole scenario, which was the history of abuse Castiel had endured at the hands of Dean Winchester. No one made fun of Castiel more than Dean when it came to his sexual orientation. Furthermore, he had lost track of the physical beatings Dean had giving him in the name of "hating fags", as Dean so elegantly put it.

What in the blue blazes was going on in Castiel's life right now?

Unable to think of a logical or appealing answer, Castiel, who was thoroughly frustrated, decided to give up and eat his lunch before the bell rang. He then took a seat on the grass like he had planned to before Dean showed up out of nowhere and threw him through a loop. Unwrapping his sandwich, Castiel couldn't stop thinking about what had just transpired minutes earlier. It took all his willpower not to call Pamela and tell her everything right then and there. However, Castiel restrained himself, mortified that Dean was just setting him up for some horrendously evil joke. He was not about to call his best friend, ridiculously excited about something he shouldn't even be excited about in the first place, just to have the whole thing explode in his face somewhere down the line. No matter how much he wanted to talk about Dean's sudden advances, he knew that it was better to keep it to himself. That way, if Dean was actually messing with him, at least no one else would know about Castiel's humiliation. Dean couldn't embarrass him if nobody knew that Castiel had been affected by Dean hitting on him in the first place.

Just then the bell rang, warning the students that they had five minutes to get to their sixth period class.

Sighing loudly, Castiel put away his stuff before getting up off the ground, swinging his backpack over his shoulder. It was a good thing Castiel was well practiced in the art of hiding his emotions because now he had to sit through an hour long class, his desk directly in front of Dean Winchester's, while trying to pay attention to his math teacher.

This should be interesting, Castiel thought as he headed toward the school, walking quickly so he wasn't late for class.

It took him three of the five minutes he had to reach his destination, Dean already seated in the desk behind his at the back of the row when he arrived.

Avoiding eye contact, Castiel rushed to his desk, refusing to acknowledge Dean's presence.

"What's with the cold shoulder, sweetheart?" Dean whispered, leaning forward so that only Castiel could hear him.

"I don't know what kind of game you're playing, Winchester, but I'm not in the mood," Castiel spat, continuing to look forward as he got his notebook and pencil out of his backpack.

Castiel heard Dean chuckle, but before he could respond the teacher, Mr. Smith, entered the classroom. Mercifully, that was enough to make Dean sit back in his seat, leaving Castiel alone for the time being.

"Okay, class. Today I'm going to break you up into groups of two and give you five problems I want you and your partner to solve in the next fifteen minutes," Mr. Smith said as soon as the final bell had rung.

Castiel immediately looked around the room trying to figure out who would be the most tolerable person to work with. But before he could make a decision, Mr. Smith uttered eleven words that made Castiel want to jump off the nearest high rise.

"Why don't y'all partner up with the person sitting behind you?"

Letting out a frustrated groan, Castiel turned his chair around to find Dean smirking at him. Resisting the urge to jab his eyeballs out with his pencil, Castiel listened to Mr. Smith as he assigned the problems, using Dean's desk as a work station to write them down. No words were exchanged between the two of them as Castiel started working on the problems without delay. Dean could only sit there and stare as Castiel solved the first equation effortlessly, moving onto the next one without checking his work.

"Don't be like that, Novak," Dean said after about five minutes of silence.

"Be like what?" Castiel asked, looking up from his work, an annoyed expression on his face.

"You're ignoring me," Dean wined, taking Castiel's pencil out of his hand.

"Well, you usually ignore me so it looks like you are getting a taste of your own medicine," Castiel said through gritted teeth as he tried, without success, to retrieve his pencil.

"You're such a bitch, Novak," Dean teased, poking Castiel in the arm with the sharpened end of the writing utensil.

"Are you seriously going to do this right now?" Castiel shot back, slapping at Dean's hand.

"Do what?" Dean asked, mocking Castiel from earlier.

"Act like your normal douche bag self, that's what," Castiel said angrily. "Did you just forget what happened at lunch or are you that good of an actor?" he added in a whisper so only Dean could hear.

At first, Castiel was sure Dean was going to punch him in the face right then and there. It would have been typical anyway. However, much to his surprise, instead of taking a swing, Dean actually smiled at Castiel.

"So you're thinking about what happened at lunch?" he asked, leaning forward so that they were face to face. Suddenly, Castiel felt Dean's knee brush against his under the desk, and he almost wasn't able to stop himself from letting out a surprised gasp.

While he was still recovering from the unexpected contact, Castiel studied Dean closely. He couldn't help but notice that the smile had not faded from Dean's lips, his perfectly white teeth standing out against his tan skin and fluorescent green eyes.

"No, absolutely not. I'm thinking about river dancing," Castiel answered sarcastically after a short pause. "Of course I'm thinking about what happened at lunch."

"Smartass," Dean chuckled, finally handing Castiel back his pencil.

Taking it cautiously, Castiel smirked at Dean, who then leaned back in his seat, stretching out to make himself comfortable.

"What are you waiting for, Novak? Get back to doing your nerdy thing. I'm all about easy A's," Dean said, bumping his leg against Castiel's playfully.

"I really hate you, Winchester," Castiel joked, returning to the math problem he had been in the middle of when Dean had stolen his pencil.

"I highly doubt that, Novak," Dean said mischievously, turning Castiel's face dark red with blush.

Thankfully for Castiel, at that moment Mr. Smith announced that time was up to complete the problems, and that everyone should return to their seats.

Without looking up at Dean, Castiel collected his stuff and faced forward, struggling to keep his cool.

"For those of you who didn't complete the assignment, don't worry. This was just practice," Mr. Smith said, earning a giant sigh of relief from most of the students.

Under any other circumstances, Castiel would have been overjoyed to know that he didn't have to turn in an assignment where he only completed two of the five problems; however, due to Dean's out of character behavior, Castiel barely even registered Mr. Smith's words.  
>"Okay, now if everyone would please open their textbooks to page 265, we will get started on today's lesson," Mr. Smith said, making Castiel snap out of his daze.<p>

Although it didn't last long. For the majority of the class period Castiel spent his time creating and rehearsing a speech which he planned on presenting to Dean after class. Confronting Dean Winchester in public, and at school no less, was probably the most reckless and self-destructive idea Castiel had ever come up with, but he couldn't let that stop him. He had to know what Dean was up to. Castiel refused to be the victim of another one of Dean's cruel games.

That's why when the bell rang for seventh period, Castiel gathered his courage, turning around to address the boy who had him spinning his wheels.

"Dean… I need to talk-" Castiel began, quickly realizing he was talking to an empty seat.  
>Looking toward the classroom door, Castiel saw Dean disappear around the corner.<p>

"Illusive, infuriating jerkface…" Castiel grumbled under his breath as he gathered his belongings, accepting defeat for the time being.


	5. I Want To Save You

After the Dean fiasco, Castiel was more than thrilled when he heard the final bell ring, signifying the end of the school day.

Taking the bus home, like he did every day, Castiel was beyond relieved when he was finally back in the safety of his own home, far away from Dean Winchester's stupid yet extremely attractive face. Well, not that far away considering the butthead lived next door - but that wasn't something Castiel wanted to think about.

Instead, he took advantage of having the house to himself by getting his homework done right away so he wouldn't have to deal with it later when his family got home. With his little sister at dance class and his parents and older brother at work, it only took Castiel about an hour to finish his school assignments, thankful for a quiet house to complete them in.

Next, Castiel moved onto his chores, starting with the task of trimming the hedges in the front yard. Grabbing a pair of gloves and sheers from the storage closest in his living room, Castiel headed outside, humming an upbeat tune as went along. Deciding to start on the right side of the house, he was walking down his front porch steps when a small figure sitting on the edge of the sidewalk by the street caught his eye. Studying the figure more closely, Castiel soon realized it was Sam Winchester, Dean's younger brother.

Letting his curiosity get the best of him, Castiel sat down the sheers and gloves on his lawn and made his way over the Sam.

"Hey, is everything okay?" Castiel asked once he was standing next to the younger boy, on the sidewalk in front of the Winchester's house.

"Yeah, I'm fine," Sam said, looking up at Castiel with tears in his eyes.

"Aw, Sam. What happened? Do you want to talk about it?" Castiel inquired, taking a seat next to him on the ground.

"It's no big deal. My dad is just being a dick," Sam explained, wiping a tear away from his cheek with the sleeve of his jacket.

"I'm sorry to hear that," Castiel said, giving Sam a sympathetic look.

He was all too familiar with having a jerk for a dad.

"It's just…" Sam began, but stopped suddenly, eyeing Casitel nervously.

"Sam, you can talk to me. I promise, I won't judge," Castiel assured him.

"It's just I got the lead part in the school play," Sam told Castiel sadly.

"What? That's great news, Sam!" Castiel congratulated him with a smile.

"Yeah, well tell that to my dad. He just told me I had to back out," Sam informed Castiel, his tone low and defeated.

"Why would he do that?" Castiel inquired, completely taken aback.

"He wants me to try out for the wrestling team," Sam explained. "He says theater is for…"

"Theater is for what?" Castiel asked, knowing all too well what Sam was about to say.

"He says theater is for fags," Sam said, shaking his head in disgust.

"Right. Your father wants you to try out for a sport where two sweaty men in singlets roll around on the floor trying to pin each other to the ground, but acting on stage is for homosexuals. Makes perfect sense," Castiel teased, getting Sam to giggle, which was his intention.

"That's a really good point," Sam agreed, a smile taking the place of the frown he had been wearing.

"So what happened when your dad told you to drop out of the play?" Castiel asked.

"I told him I didn't want to. I worked really hard to get the part," Sam said, "but he wouldn't listen and he started yelling at me. That's when Dean got involved."

"Does Dean not want you to be in the play either?" Castiel questioned, causing Sam's eyes to dart up from the sidewalk to stare at him with confusion.

"What? No! He was so happy for me when I told him I got the part. He's been staying up late with me for the past week and a half to help me study my lines," Sam explained, his tone full of affection.

"So Dean got involved to defend you?" Castiel wondered aloud, unable to hide his surprise.

"Of course. Dean always has my back. I just wish I would have known dad was already drunk. I would have never told him I got the part if I had known. I would have waited," Sam mumbled, turning away as another tear rolled down his cheek.

"It's not your fault, Sam. Please don't blame yourself," Castiel pleaded, placing a comforting hand on Sam's shoulder.

"It is my fault. If I would have just kept my mouth shut Dean wouldn't have had to get in the middle of it and dad wouldn't have hit him," Sam blurted out, immediately slapping his hand over his mouth when he realized what he had said.

"Your father hit Dean?" Castiel asked, anger washing over him.

"Yeah, but it's not big deal. Dean's tough. He can handle it," Sam said quickly, the words not sounding like his own.

"Sam, he shouldn't have to handle it. Neither of you should," Castiel told him, his voice full of concern.

Castiel had always had a suspicion that John Winchester was tough on Sam and Dean, but he would have never thought that he was violent toward them. Not with the way John always bragged about "his boys" to anyone who would listen. Castiel had to admit, Sam's confession came as quite a shock, and he was instantly worried for both of the boys' wellbeing.

"Castiel, please don't say anything. Dean would be livid if he knew I told you any of this," Sam begged, giving Castiel the mother of all puppy dog looks.

"Sam…" Castiel sighed, not wanting to ignore the situation.

"Please! Dean will take care of it, honestly. That's why I'm out here. He knows how to calm my dad down when he's drunk. He'll come get me when things cool down," Sam promised, desperate for Castiel to believe him.

"Ah, crap. Okay. But seriously Sam, if you need help at any point in time don't hesitate to come get me. I don't care how early or late it is," Castiel said, mentally kicking himself for not being strong enough to resist Sam's pleas.

"Thanks, man," Sam replied, letting out a sigh of relief, "We'll be fine though. Dean's got it taken care of," he added, and Castiel could tell he truly believed what he was saying.

He was just about to tell Sam he really hoped he was right when Castiel heard someone slam the Winchester's front door loudly. Peering behind him, Castiel saw Dean, the expression on his face straight up murderous, as he stormed down his front porch steps, heading to his car.

For a moment, Castiel didn't think Dean was even going to acknowledge the two of them sitting on the sidewalk until he reached the driver's side door of his vehicle, suddenly turning his attention to his little brother.

"Yo, Sammy!" Dean called, causing Sam to look over at him. "Let's go get some pizza," he added, his mood brightening significantly when he addressed Sam.

If Castiel was being 100% honest, the whole exchange between the two brothers was possibly the most adorable thing he had ever seen.

"Be right there!" Sam shouted back, getting up as Castiel followed suit. "Thanks for listening to me bitch, Castiel."

"Not a problem. And I'm serious, if you ever need to talk you know where I live," Castiel said, patting Sam on the back.

Nodding, Sam headed off toward his big brother, who seemed to be analyzing the scene before him. Castiel could understand why Dean would be so thrown off by seeing Sam and him talking, considering it was not a common occurrence. Trying to make the situation a little less tense, Castiel gave Dean a small wave. It was only then that he noticed the small bruise on Dean's left cheek bone. Letting his nerves get the better of him, Castiel quickly averted his eyes from the spot, hoping that Dean didn't catch him staring.

Thankfully, Dean didn't seem to notice Castiel's discovery, chuckling at his awkward wave.

Instead of waving back, Dean raised his eyebrows in a suggestive manner, offering Castiel a smile that nearly floored him. It was crazy to think that only minutes ago the same boy who was now all smiles and charm was just in a huge argument with his father.

"Take a picture, Novak. It will last longer," Dean shouted suddenly, shaking Castiel from his thoughts.

It was only then that he realized he had been staring at Dean for God knew how long.

"Bye Castiel!" Sam called, waving at him before he got into the passenger's seat.

"See ya Sam," Castiel replied, shooting Dean a dirty look, who just laughed at him as he joined Sam in the car.

Once Dean had backed out of the driveway, Castiel started walking over to his front lawn, deep in thought about how to handle the new information he had just been given.

Castiel had promised Sam he wouldn't say anything about John hitting Dean, but how was he supposed to ignore something like that? Especially when he had to see Dean not only at school but at work. Man, he wanted to call Pamela. He could really use her advice right about now. But he knew he couldn't. If roles were reversed, Castiel would never want other people talking about his personal issues regarding his family. However, abiding by that philosophy left Castiel with a tough decision.

Should he try to forget what Sam had told him and move on, or should he confront Dean on the matter? If he could get Dean to tell an adult about John hitting him, then they could get Dean and his brother the help they needed. The only problem was getting Dean to talk about what was going on. Castiel couldn't even get Dean to talk to him in general, so how in the world was he going to get him to talk about something he was hell bent on hiding, as Sam made it seem?

Whichever option Castiel decided to take, he was sure of one thing. The results were not going to be pretty.


	6. Attraction Can Be Dangerous

For the rest of the week, Castiel barely saw Dean. Although he wasn't quite sure if he was the one avoiding, or the one being avoided. Either way, he was thankful. Castiel knew that he wouldn't be able to keep what Sam had told him a secret for much longer, but he also was not looking forward to talking to Dean about it. That was why, from the moment he showed up to work that Saturday, Castiel did everything in his power not to be around Dean for extended periods of time. And for the most part, his plan was working out just fine.

That was until about 3 o'clock when his best friend, of all people, foiled him.

"Look at my little worker bee," Pamela cooed as she entered the front office of the shop.

"Please stop," Castiel groaned, looking up from his paper work.

"Don't make me tell the old man you're sassing me," she teased, handing Castiel the keys to her car.

"Please. Even Bobby knows that in a battle of sass, if I went up against you, I'd be a goner," Castiel joked.

"So true," Pamela agreed, smiling mischievous at him.

"Just an oil change, right?" Castiel asked, making his way around the desk so that he could give Pamela's keys to the mechanic on duty. Which, unfortunately for him, was Dean.

"Yes sir. And while you're out there say hi to your man for me," Pamela taunted.

"Suck it, hag," Castiel shot back before he entered the garage, closing the door behind him.

Taking a deep breath, Castiel mentally prepared himself for the task that awaited him. Speaking to Dean was normally like pulling teeth, but somehow with the weight of Sam's confession on his shoulders, it seemed so much more difficult now. Maybe it was because Castiel couldn't fathom one of his parents hitting him. Even knowing that his father was exceedingly against his sexual orientation, Castiel knew that he would never lay a hand on him. And if he ever did, Castiel would go ballistic. He could put up with a lot of things, but physical violence from a parent was not one of them. That was why Castiel was having such a hard time facing Dean. And what made matters even worse was Dean's lack of concern toward the whole thing, walking around like he didn't have a care in the world, even though he was wearing the evidence of John's assault on his cheek. It made no sense to Castiel, and that was why looking Dean in the face and talking to him like nothing was wrong was taking such a toll on him.

Trying his best to push his personal feelings aside, Castiel scanned the room, quickly spotting Dean, who was filling out a form on a car he had just finished with.

"Hey, Dean?" Castiel called, his tone reflecting how nervous he felt. "Pamela needs her oil changed," he added, causing Dean to look up from his task.

"Pamela? Is she that hot chick who's into the Ramones?" Dean asked, setting the form down on his work desk before walking over to stand in front of Castiel.

"She's the human being who is my best friend. And trust me when I tell you I would have no qualms about shedding blood for her. So watch yourself. Also, I don't think like is the word I would use to describe her interest in the Ramones. I think deeply obsessed is a better fit," Castiel explained, tossing Pamela's car keys to him.

"Duly noted," Dean replied, catching the keys effortlessly, a playful smile on his face.

How such a simple gesture could distract Castiel he would never understand, but he soon found himself staring aimlessly at the boy in front of him.

"Did you need something else, sweetheart?" Dean asked, chuckling as Castiel realized what he was doing and averted his eyes in alarm.

The action was so conspicuous that Castiel could have died from embarrassment on the spot. Without replying, Castiel returned to the front office, tremendously annoyed with himself that he could get so flustered just by Dean smiling at him. What the hell was wrong with him?

"How are things with the boy toy?" Pamela asked, noticing the blush on Castiel's cheeks as he shut the door behind him.

"I'm going to pretend you didn't just say that," Castiel said, trying to recover from his epic fail as he returned to the front desk.

"Oh come on, Castiel. Would you really deny your best friend the reason why you just shot in here like a bullet? You're the color of a fucking Twizzler for crying out loud," Pamela mused, folding her arms over her chest.

"Have a seat my nosey but beautiful best friend. It will be about fifteen minutes," Castiel replied, earning a groan from Pamela who, much to his surprise, accepted defeat quite easily, sitting down in one of the three chairs that were positioned against the far wall of the office.

Picking up a magazine, Pamela let Castiel continue his work, waiting patiently for Dean to be done with her car.

About ten minutes later, although he dreaded it, Castiel was about to go check on Dean's progress when a small blonde girl entered the shop.

"Hello, Crystal," Castiel said, putting on a fake smile.

Crystal Summers was one of Castiel's classmates, the captain of the cheerleading squad and one of the meanest people he had ever come in contact with.

"Is my car ready?" Crystal asked, not bothering to return Castiel's greeting.

"Rude bitch." Pamela muttered under her breath and Castiel had to bite his tongue to keep from laughing.

Shooting Pamela a "go to hell" look, Crystal tapped her foot on the floor impatiently.

"Yes, it is," Castiel informed her happily, trying to avoid a nuclear meltdown, "I just need you to sign this form and you'll be ready to go."

Sighing loudly, Crystal signed the form quickly before jerking her keys out of Castiel's hand.

"Your car is right this way," Castiel said, walking her through the door which connected the front office to the garage.

Crystal, pushing past Castiel as soon as she spotted her car, was about to open the driver's side door when she noticed Dean sliding out from under Pamela's Malibu.

"Dean!" Crystal squealed, walking over to kiss him on the cheek when he stood up.

"Hey there, darlin'." Dean said, giving her his best smile.

Giggling, Crystal smiled back, getting uncomfortably close to him as though she were going to shove her tongue down his throat with no regard for Castiel's presence.

"Is Pamela's car ready?" Castiel asked testily, pulling Dean's attention away from Crystal.

"Yeah, tell her the keys are in the ignition. She's all set." Dean answered as Crystal stood in front of him, staring holes into Castiel.

Nodding, Castiel nearly ran back to the front office, desperate to get away from Crystal and her icy cold stare.

"Ugh!" Castiel exclaimed once there was a closed door and a wall of concrete between him and the garage.

"Let me guess? Crystal was scamming on your man?" Pamela asked, getting up from her seat.

"If we don't change the subject I'm gonna puke," Castiel teased. "Oh, and your keys are in the lion's den," he added, making a sour face.

"I'm afraid to go out there…" Pamela cringed as she wrinkled up her nose in disgust.

"God's speed, my friend," Castiel joked, giving his best friend a big hug.

"I'll call you later," she said, giving Castiel one last dramatic look before cautiously venturing into the garage.

Once Pamela was gone, Castiel reluctantly headed down to the storage basement to get some paper for the printer. He had been putting the task off for as long as he could, but it was almost the end of the day and he needed to print a few forms before he could leave.

Determined not to spend any more time in the basement than he had to, Castiel located what he was looking for almost immediately and was about to leave when he heard a strange noise.

Turning around, he quickly realized that the sound he heard were the stairs creaking under someone's weight as they descended.

Castiel could hardly hide his shock when he realized that someone was Dean.

Utterly confused, Castiel looked at him suspiciously as Dean sauntered down the steps before walking over and knocking the paper out of Castiel's hands.

"What the hell was that for?!" Castiel shouted.

"Stop acting like such a fag," Dean replied venomously, causing Castiel to stop dead in his tracks.

"Don't call me that," Castiel warned, looking Dean in the eye.

"Why?" Dean asked maliciously, taking a step closer to Castiel. "You suck dick, don't you? That makes you a fag."

"Enough, Dean!" Castiel exploded, making Dean flinch ever so slightly.

However, he recovered quickly, taking a couple more steps toward Castiel until they were chest to chest.

"Make me," Dean challenged, his voice a whisper.

"Wh-what?" Castiel stammered, taking a step back.

"I said make me," Dean repeated, pushing Castiel so that his back was up against the stone wall of the basement.

Unable to move, Castiel tried desperately to think of a way out. It wasn't that he couldn't defend himself. He could. Castiel had taken karate lessons since he was six and being a small guy he worked hard to be able to defend himself against jerks just like Dean Winchester. He was pretty sure he could take half the football team if anyone of them ever picked a fight. But he knew for a fact he couldn't take Dean Winchester.

Dean Winchester, who was the captain of not only the football team but the wrestling team as well. For Christ's sake, this was the boy who got jumped by four dudes for talking shit during a game with a rival school and still ended up the winner. Castiel knew better than to engage in a physical altercation with him.

"I don't want to fight you, Dean," Castiel said, placing a hand on Dean's chest in an attempt to push him away.

"I bet you don't, faggot," Dean teased, trying to get a rise out of Castiel.

"I said don't call me that!" Castiel shouted, shoving Dean hard.

The push didn't do much except to egg Dean on.

"What? You don't mind getting on your knees for dudes but you don't like being called a faggot?" Dean taunted.

At that, Castiel lost his cool. It all happened so fast he barely even realized he had balled up his fist, punching Dean as hard as he could in the mouth.

The punch sent Dean reeling back, but didn't knock him off his feet.

For a moment, he just stood there, his head turned to the side like he was processing what had just happened. Castiel's hand throbbed as he stared at Dean, bile rising in his throat at the thought of what was to come next. Finally, Dean looked up; his bright green eyes clouded with an emotion Castiel couldn't quite identify. Castiel's eyes then landed on the large cut he had made on the other boy's lip, spotting the blood trickling down his chin.

"Dean…I…" Castiel began, but his words were silenced by Dean's fist colliding with his right eye.

The impact made Castiel stumble, but it was Dean tackling him that sent Castiel to the ground.

"Saw you staring at me again," Dean huffed out as Castiel struggled under him to get free. "You're always staring at me."

"This isn't funny, Dean. Get off of me," Castiel ordered angrily, blushing at Dean's words.

"Let me guess, you are having all kinds of fantasies about this sweet ass?" Dean asked, receiving a wide eyed glare from Castiel for his trouble.

"You fucking wish!" Castiel gritted out as he surged forward, pushing Dean to the side.

Unfortunately, Castiel wasn't fast enough and Dean taught him by the wrist, delivering a punch to his stomach.

"Bastard!" he spat as the wind was knocked out of him. Acting on pure adrenalin, Castiel then elbowed Dean to the side of his head, causing him to release Castiel's wrist.

"Ha, looks like my little kitten has claws after all," Dean grunted, shooting Castiel a wicked smile as they both sat on the floor of the basement trying to catch their breath.

Unable to reply, mainly because he had no idea where to even begin, Castiel moved to lay flat on his back, letting out a deep, steadying breath.

The room was spinning.

Keeping his eyes tightly shut, Castiel desperately tried to ignore the throbbing pain in his head. His right eye was already starting to swell, and his vision was slightly blurred.

"You are the biggest asshole I've ever met," Castiel said finally as he made yet another attempt to get up.

Once again, his plan failed miserably. Dean, moving incredibly fast, roughly pushed Castiel back down, straddling him before pinning his arms above his head.

Making a tsk noise, he looked down at Castiel, a predatorily smile forming on his lips.

"Language, Castiel. Honestly, we might have to do something about that filthy mouth of yours," Dean teased as Castiel flailed under him.

"Let me up!" Castiel demanded, feeling Dean's grip tighten around his wrists, bruising him.

Leaning forward, Dean brushed his lips against Castiel's, causing him to gasp. It wasn't until that moment that Castiel realized something outright unbelievable.

Dean was hard.

"You're driving me crazy. You know that, right?" Dean asked, his voice completely wrecked. Castiel could feel his breath hot against his lips, sending a sensation of pleasure through his whole body.

Looking up, Castiel's lips parted slightly, his bright blue eyes searching Dean's face for any sign of insincerity.

"Earlier, were you jealous that I was flirting with that chick?" Dean inquired, referring to Crystal practically jumping him in the garage.

Biting his bottom lip, Castiel nodded, watching Dean closely for a response.

Not that Castiel needed to look hard for one. At his confession, Dean closed his eyes, chocking back a moan which threated to spill from his lips. Seeing Dean's reaction, knowing he was turned on because of him, lit a spark in Castiel. Bravely, he found himself eyeing his right hand, silently asking Dean to release it. Cocking his head to the side, Dean looked at Castiel thoughtfully for a few seconds before complying. Once his hand was free, Castiel made a move to run his fingers through the other boy's hair.

The action was hesitant, Castiel treating Dean almost like a caged animal. He didn't want to make any sudden movements for fear that it would spook him.

"I hated hearing that bitch talk to you, let alone seeing her touch you," Castiel heard himself say, his voice not sounding like his own. It was rough, almost animalistic. Every syllable conveying just how much he wanted Dean.

Then without thinking, Castiel rocked his hips upward, his crotch rubbing against Dean's.

"Motherfucker," Dean gasped, fighting to conceal the look of pure pleasure that flashed across his face.

Unable to help himself, Castiel smiled widely, satisfaction evident in his body language. He was turning Dean on. He was making Dean squirm. Castiel couldn't even believe it. Dean Winchester was falling apart at the seams and it was all his doing.

But before Castiel could find the courage to say or do anything else he heard someone calling to Dean and him from the top of the stairs.

It was Bobby.

"Winchester! Novak! Where the hell are you two knuckle heads?!" Bobby yelled, his voice guff.

In a flash, Dean rolled off of Castiel, charging up the stairs.

"Be right there, sir!" he called, leaving Castiel flat on his back and utterly confused.

Not being in a hurry to face Bobby, he continued to lie on the basement floor, letting out a frustrated groan. Why was it that every time Dean decided to make a move on Castiel someone had to show up and ruin everything?

Deciding not to dwell on the negative, Castiel knew his time would be better spent trying to calm himself down. After all, his body was still shaking from the whole ordeal. Shutting his eyes, Castiel tried to relax. His breathing was slowly returning to normal when suddenly he heard a strange noise coming from the back corner of the room.

It was that familiar scratching noise, the one Dean seemed to know about before Castiel had even said anything about it.

Abruptly, Castiel was all too aware that he was in the basement alone. A chill washed over his body as he quickly got up, dusting off his uniform before making his way to the stairs.

On the bright side, being left by himself in the devastatingly creepy basement was a grade A boner killer. So in the long run he was kind of thankful for it. What he wasn't thankful for was what was waiting for him back in the front office.

"One of you two idjits better explain the state of your faces ASAP," Bobby demanded, examining the cuts and bruises scattered across Castiel and Dean's skin. In the fluorescent light of the front office the blue and purple marks stuck out much more vividly than they did in the darkness of the basement.

Castiel and Dean stood there silently, neither one of them jumping at the chance to explain themselves.

It took Bobby crossing his arms in irritation for Dean to finally speak up.

"Castiel tripped walking down the stairs to the basement," Dean lied and Castiel had to exercise all of his strength not to make a face.

"Uh-huh. Well, that don't explain the cut on your lip, Winchester," Bobby retorted, obviously not believing Dean for a second.

"When I went to help Cas up he accidently elbowed me." Dean explained nonchalantly.

It was the biggest load of bullshit Castiel had ever heard, but it was better than what he could come up with, which was absolutely nothing.

"Yeah, I was disoriented and didn't realize Dean was so close to me. My elbow just kind of caught his lip. It was my bad," Castiel collaborated.

Bobby, visibly furious, listened to the boys' nonsense story with a scowl on his face, shaking his head in disgust.

"Well, I can't make you two tell me what happened but I can put you both on probation," Bobby said, causing Castiel's heart to drop through his stomach.

In the full two years he had worked at Singer's Auto Shop, Castiel had never been in trouble. He hadn't even been given a warning.

"I won't tolerate fighting in my shop," Bobby added sternly. "No matter the reason, understood?"

"Yes sir," Castiel and Dean answered in unison.

"Good. Now both of you go home. I'll close up," Bobby grumbled, disappointment evident in his tone.

"Yes sir," Castiel said miserably as Dean was already on his way out the door.

To be continued…


	7. Whirlwind

"What the fuck, Dean?!" Castiel yelled once he had caught up to him in the parking lot.

Raising his eyebrows in amusement, Dean shot Castiel a questioning look at his uncharacteristic vulgarity. Personally, Castiel couldn't believe he was using such foul language himself, but when it came to Dean, he honestly couldn't believe the majority of his actions.

"Don't be such a girl. It's just probation. At least we still have a job," Dean replied, walking away from him.

"Just probation? I've never been on probation in my life! For anything!" Castiel told him as he followed Dean to his car.

"I'm sorry, princess," Dean spat, turning around to look at Castiel. "Looks like your squeaky clean reputation just got a little tarnished. However will you cope?" he added with a chuckle.

"This isn't funny, Dean," Castiel seethed, his blood boiling.

"Jesus Christ, Cas. Get over it. Do you need a ride?" Dean asked, and for a minute Castiel didn't think he had heard him correctly.

"Do I what?" Castiel questioned, his eyebrows shooting up in apprehension.

"What, am I speaking Greek? A ride, Castiel. Do you need a ride home?" Dean repeated, slowing down his speech in a sarcastic attempt at humor.

And just like that, Castiel's anger was gone, replaced with utter confusion.

He was starting to realize that Dean was really good at that. Anger, confusion and lust, those were Dean's specialties. He never failed to make Castiel feel one or the other when he was around. On occasion, he could even make him feel all three at the same time. Now that was talent.

"You would let me in your car?" Castiel found himself asking.

At that, Dean narrowed his eyes, looking from his seemingly spotless black 1967 Chevy impala back to Castiel's innocent blue eyes.

"Yeah," he said after a long pause. "As long as you promise to be gentle with my baby."

"Your baby? Really?" Castiel asked, unable to stop himself from laughing.

"Hey, you wanna ride the bus home?" Dean shot back irritably.

"Okay, okay. I promise," Castiel said, holding up his hands in defeat.

Smiling widely, Dean motioned for Castiel to get in the passenger's seat before sliding behind the wheel.

Without hesitation, Castiel did as he was instructed, gingerly getting into Dean's car.

Once inside, he buckled his seat belt before looking over at the driver.

"What?" Castiel asked suspiciously when he saw Dean staring at him.

"You're such a little bitch. A seatbelt, really?" Dean jeered, rolling his eyes at Castiel.

"Fuck off, Dean. If we crash guess who's going to be the one that survives?" Castiel said defensively.

He had expected some sort of rude remark in return, but, much to Castiel's surprise, his comment only made Dean laugh. Not just a chuckle either, but a loud, full-on belly laugh. And it was deeply disturbing to Castiel how much he enjoyed hearing the sound.

"That was a good one, Cas," Dean said, trying to regain his composure.

Castiel, who was trying not to smile, shook his head as Dean put the car in drive.

"Cas, huh?" he asked once Dean had gotten himself under control. "You used to call me that when we were little."

"So? Don't get sentimental about it," Dean said, shrugging his shoulders.

"Shut up," Castiel replied lamely, holding back a smile.

"Oh, and by the way. I'd bite off my own tongue before I crashed this car," Dean told him, returning to the subject of the Impala, his tone deadly serious.

"You're ridiculous," Castiel scoffed, rubbing his good eye with the palm of his hand in frustration.

"Priorities, baby, priorities," Dean chuckled, winking at Castiel.

"So, I'm probably going to regret asking this but… what the hell happened back there, you know, in the basement?" Castiel dared to ask after a few minutes on the road.

"We fought and I won," Dean replied simply.

"That's such bullshit, Dean," Castiel shot back, folding his arms across his chest.

"Good lord, stop bitching," Dean groaned. "What do you want me to say? I knew you were pissed off that Crystal was all over me and it got me going. You're really hot when you're mad," he added, causing Castiel to nearly choke on air.

Coughing loudly, he tried several times to reply, ultimately unable to find any words.

"Dude, don't freak out on me," Dean barked as Castiel struggled to catch his breath.

"I'm not…" Castiel said, lying through his teeth. "I just can't believe you said that."

"Yeah, well. Join the club," Dean huffed.

"Wow," Castiel mumbled once he was finally able to calm down.

"You gonna have a fucking stroke?" Dean asked, shooting him a sideways glance.

"I just found out that Dean Winchester, Mr. I love slutty girls in low cut shirts, thinks I'm hot," Castiel stated as a matter of fact. "As a gay man with a dick, who possess neither of your favorite qualities, I have a right to be astounded at this shocking new development in my life. So yeah, I might have a stroke," he added, smiling sarcastically.

"Shut up," Dean ordered, trying not to laugh as he turned up the radio, which Castiel took as his way of saying the conversation was over.

On the bright side, despite Dean's confession, the drive home wasn't nearly as awkward as Castiel had thought it would be. More shockingly, there was actually something about it that was kind of comforting. Even with Dean driving like a bat out of hell, and Led Zeppelin blasting through the speakers, threatening to bust his eardrum, he didn't hate it.

After about twenty minutes, which was record-breaking time and frankly made Castiel feel a little sick to his stomach, Dean was pulling into the driveway of his house, which was directly next to Castiel's.

"Well, thanks for the ride," Castiel said shyly when Dean killed the engine.

"Sure thing, sweetheart," Dean replied smoothly, his southern drawl more pronounced than usual.

It was absurd that Castiel had to add that to the insanely long list of reasons why he found Dean Winchester attractive, especially considering he grew up in a place where literally everyone had an accent. He had an accent of his own for goodness sake! But such was his life.

As one last gesture of gratitude, Castiel looked over at Dean, offering him a small smile. Dean, catching his eye, smiled back, his green eyes shimmering in the sunlight as he held Castiel's gaze.

Studying each other, silence fell between the two of them as a feeling of intensity began to build in the air.

Soon, even though he was fighting with everything he had to hold his own, Castiel's cheeks heated up with blush and his palms became slick with sweat. A sense of panic washed over him as he made a move to open the door, folding under the ferocity of Dean's gaze. His fingertips had just grazed the metal handle on the door when he felt Dean grab him by the collar.

"Dean what are you-" Castiel started but Dean cut him off.

"Don't talk, Castiel," Dean demanded, his voice low.

Complying without a second thought, Castiel shut his mouth, watching the other boy closely as he looked around the neighborhood.

When Dean seemed positive that there was no one around, he pulled Castiel into a rough, feverish kiss.

Castiel was so taken aback by Dean's action that he couldn't stop himself from letting out a sharp gasp. It didn't take long for Castiel to adjust however, kissing Dean back with equal passion as he ran his fingers through the older boy's hair.

Feeling Castiel respond, Dean deepened the kiss, pushing his tongue into Castiel's mouth, causing him to moan at the sensation.

For several minutes the kiss continued, both boys completely wrapped up in the moment. Dean, who never once faltered, was showing no signs of backing down when Castiel finally had to come up for air. He was extremely disappointed in himself, but if he would have held the kiss any longer he probably would have turned blue.

"What's the matter, baby? Not used to being kissed by someone who knows what they're doing?" Dean asked smugly, pulling back slightly to rest his forehead against Castiel's.

Nervously biting his lower lip, Castiel hesitated before replying.

"I've only been kissed by one other person before you and it definitely wasn't like that," he confessed after a short pause, his eyes closed as he leaned against Dean.

"S'alright Cas. I'll show you what it's like to be kissed by a real man," Dean said before running his tongue along Castiel's bottom lip.

Castiel, much to his dismay, let out a needy whimper in response, causing Dean to smirk.

If it had been anybody else acting so arrogant, Castiel was 100% sure that he would have told them off right on the spot. But for some reason beyond his comprehension, Dean's cockiness was proving to be the biggest turn on. Which, in the grand scheme of things, really pissed Castiel off. Why was he even in this situation in the first place? Dean Winchester was the last person Castiel should be kissing. Truthfully, Castiel shouldn't have even wanted to be around him. This was, after all, the boy who spent most of his time trying to find ways to torture Castiel. Yet here he was, reduced to nothing but a hot mess, and hard as a rock because Dean was talking dirty.

"You are going to be the death of me, Dean Winchester," was all Castiel could manage to say before Dean surged forward again, kissing him with purpose.

Their second kiss didn't last nearly as long as their first, mainly because it was interrupted by Castiel's cell phone ringing.

"Don't you dare answer that," Dean threatened as Castiel leaned back fishing his hand into his pocket to grab his Galaxy 4.

"It's my mom," Castiel sighed, "I have to."

Dean rolled his eyes but settled back into the driver's seat, allowing Castiel to answer the call.

"Hey mom," Castiel said, silently praying that he didn't sound as out of breath as he felt.

"Castiel? Honey, are you okay?" Mrs. Novak asked in her familiar concerned-mom voice.

"I'm fine, mom. What's up?" Castiel replied, aggravated with himself for being so obvious.

"I was just calling to ask when you'd be home from work. I'm running a little late and need you to get your brother to drive you to the store to pick something up for dinner," Mrs. Novak explained.

"I'm home now. What should I get?" Castiel asked, disappointment evident in his voice.

"Are you sure nothing is wrong, darling?" Mrs. Novak inquired, making him feel terrible .

"I'm sure mom," Castiel lied. "What do you need from the store?"

As his mother rattled off a short list of items she wanted him to purchase, Castiel listened closely but soon became distracted when he noticed Dean moving in the seat beside him.

He was barely able to stop himself from crying out in surprise when he felt Dean's lips against his neck.

"Dean," Castiel hissed, covering the receiver of the phone with his thumb.

Ignoring Castiel's protests, Dean nipped lightly at the sensitive skin just under his ear, chuckling as he felt him squirm.

"Oh and please get a gallon of milk while you're at it," Castiel heard his mother say, snapping him back to the present.

Putting his left hand on Dean's chest in an attempt to push him back so that he could concentrate, Castiel removed his thumb from the bottom of the phone to reply.

"Okay, so just spaghetti sauce, noodles and a gallon of milk?" he repeated, using every bit of strength he had to keep his voice steady.

"That's it," Mrs. Novak agreed cheerfully.

Thinking that he had just dodged a bullet, Castiel was about to say goodbye to his mother when he felt Dean's teeth sink into his neck, biting him hard.

"FUCK!" Castiel shouted, a mixture of pleasure and pain coursing through his body.

"Castiel Joseph Novak! What in the world?" Castiel heard his mother ask, shock evident in her voice.

In all of his seventeen years Castiel had never cursed in front of his mother, not once.

"I'm- I'm sorry mom. I… stubbed my toe really hard and it hurt… It just slipped out. I'm sorry!" Castiel stammered, glaring at Dean, who was making no attempt to hold back his laughter.

Playfully, Dean responded by licking the place he had just bitten down on, making Castiel shudder.

"Mom I have to go, I'm sorry! I'll get Gabriel to take me to the store right now," Castiel apologized in a rush, hanging up before his mother could reply.

Letting out a ragged breath, he then turned to look at Dean, pure unadulterated rage written all over his face.

"What the hell, Winchester?!" He shouted, seriously contemplating taking a page out of Dean's book and throwing a punch.

"Mmm, I like it when you call me Winchester," Dean teased, leaning forward to give Castiel a peck on the lips.

"You are infuriating." Castiel gritted out, his blood pressure rising higher and higher with every passing second.

"And you need to go to the store." Dean replied calmly, as if the last ten minutes had never happened.

And just like that, the moment was gone. Whatever had come over Dean had dissipated and he was back to the impersonal jackass Castiel knew and wished he could hate.

Without another word, Dean then got out of the car, leaving Castiel stunned and irate in the passenger's seat.

"This shit is getting really old, really fast, Dean!" Castiel called after him, although he was sure his words had fallen on deaf ears as he watched Dean stroll across his lawn and up his porch steps, quickly disappearing inside his house.


	8. Fallout

After taking a moment to calm and down and process Dean's whirlwind of emotions, Castiel got out of the impala, more than a little unsure. Eventually, he decided that standing in front of the Winchester's garage wasn't the best game plan, so he made his way over to his own house, his head spinning.

It was then that Castiel discovered that just the simple act of walking made him wince in pain. The more he moved, the more he realized that every inch of his body hurt from his altercation with Dean earlier that day. Yet, he couldn't complain. Even though his right eye was completely swollen shut, and the bruises on his wrists throbbed, Dean Winchester had kissed him. And it wasn't just any plain old run-of-the-mill kiss either. It had been better than any kiss Castiel could have ever imagined.

Trying to hide the goofy grin on his face from the thought of Dean's lips on his, he took a deep breath when he reached his front door, entering his house slowly as he looked around for any signs of his siblings.

Just as he suspected, he immediately spotted his baby sister Anna, who was sitting on the couch watching TV.

"Hey squirt, where's Gabe?" Castiel asked, trying act natural.

"In his room," Anna said, glancing over at Castiel before turning her head back to the TV.

He had thought that was the end of their exchange when Anna did a double take, her eyes traveling from the swollen bruise on Castiel's face down to the large bite mark on his neck.

"I'll get to the black eye in a second," Anna informed him. "But for now, holy mother of all hickies!" she exclaimed, jumping up to examine Castiel from a better vantage point.

"It's not a hickey," he protested, running up the stairs to find their older brother Gabriel with Anna hot on his heels.

"You're right, it's not a hickey. It's a freaking bite mark! Jeez Cassie, I would have never pegged you for the kinky type," Anna confessed, earning a frustrated groan from Castiel.

"For the love of all that is holy, don't call me Cassie," he whined as they both reached Gabriel's room. "And please, whatever you do, don't say the word kinky in front of me ever again. You're thirteen and my baby sister, it's just wrong."

"Did somebody say kinky?" Castiel heard Gabriel, his eldest sibling, ask suddenly as he emerged from his room, a mischievous smile on his face.

Castiel could only assume that Gabriel had overheard Anna's and his conversation in the hall and joined them to see what all the fuss was about.

"Ignore the black eye for the time being," Anna said when Gabriel caught sight of Castiel's face. "Your brother is a dirty slut with a bite mark on his neck the size of Texas, and he's refusing to give me the deets," she added before Castiel could say anything to stop her.

"Whoa, damn little brother. You didn't tell me you were dating a vampire," Gabriel joked, reaching out to turn Castiel's head gently to the side so he could look at the mark more closely. "Oh, and we are so talking about the black eye later," he informed him, his cheerful tone replaced with concern.

"Will you both just get off my ass?" Castiel complained, swatting Gabriel's hand away.

It wasn't until he saw both of his siblings' faces plastered with pure shock that he realized what he had just said.

"Did hell just freeze over?" Gabriel asked, looking at Anna nervously.

"I really think it did, big brother." Anna agreed.

"Let me get this straight. You come home with a giant bite mark on your neck and you just said a curse word, which seriously sounded so wrong coming out of your mouth, by the way, and you are expecting us to believe you aren't seeing some bad boy who is soiling your innocence?" Gabriel asked as Anna stood next to him, folding her arms across her chest.

"Mom wants us to go to the store," Castiel stated, ignoring the probing looks he was receiving from both his siblings.

When Castiel refused to acknowledge his big brother's question, silence fell between the three of them as Gabriel and Anna continued to stare, making Castiel extremely uncomfortable.

Finally, after when felt like a lifetime, Anna took pity on her older brother. Well, kind of.

"You take Castiel to the store and work on getting the full story," Anna told Gabriel who wasted little time saluting her in agreement.

"Aye, captain," Gabriel said; "I'll report back as soon as I've acquired the information we seek."

"That a boy. Dismissed!" Anna replied, giggling.

"I'm going to stab myself in the face," Castiel deadpanned, thoroughly annoyed that his siblings were conspiring against him, right in front of his face no less.

Without further banter, Castiel walked away as his big brother followed him down the stairs and out to the car.

On their way to the store, Gabriel relentlessly badgered Castiel about the mark on his neck, which by that time had turned a dark purple color and stood out tremendously against his light skin. Thankfully, Castiel had years of experience when it came to ignoring his older brother's obnoxious tendency to meddle. Not that he was upset that Gabriel was asking about what had happened to him, because he wasn't in the slightest. Castiel was very grateful that he had an older brother who truly cared about him, it was just he had no interest in explaining what was going on with him and Dean. Especially when he didn't quite understand what was happening himself.

However, Castiel's refusal to address the matter did not stop Gabriel from trying to get some answers. Even when they arrived at the store and started shopping, Gabriel still continued to grill his younger brother for information.

"Fine, if you won't tell me who you let nom on your neck, will you at least tell me who hit you?" Gabriel asked as he followed Castiel down an aisle.

"It's not important," Castiel replied, putting two jars of spaghetti sauce in the grocery cart.

"It is important, Cassie. If you tell me who hurt you I promise I'll make them suffer," Gabriel said protectively.

"I'm fine, big brother. I swear, I handled it," Castiel told him, turning to look Gabriel in the eyes.

"You're sure?" his brother asked, looking skeptical.

"I'm positive," Castiel confirmed.

"Okay…" Gabriel agreed with a shrug of his shoulders. "But if you have any more trouble, you'll come straight to me, right?"

"I promise, if I need help you're first on my speed dial," Castiel said, smiling up at Gabriel.

"Good, because no one gets to pick on you but me, ya brat," Gabriel teased, ruffling Castiel's hair. "I'll go get the milk," he added, finally dropping the subject.

Breathing a sigh of relief, Castiel continued shopping, making sure to get everything his mother had asked for.

Once they had retrieved the short list of items, Gabriel and Castiel checked out and were back home in less than twenty minutes.

"So how exactly are you planning on explaining your face to mom and dad?" Anna asked as she watched from her seat at the kitchen table while her two older brothers put away the groceries.

"Personally, I think it's an improvement," Gabriel teased, causing Castiel to punch him in the arm after he had put the milk in the refrigerator.

"This isn't my first black eye, Anna. Mom and dad are pretty much used to this by now," Castiel said as Gabriel and he joined their little sister at the table.

"While that is true," Gabriel chimed in, "how are you going to talk your way out of the fact that you're sporting the imprint of someone's teeth on your neck? Mom is going to shit a brick."

"I'm going to do what?" Mrs. Novak asked, making all three of her children jump in surprise as she entered the kitchen.

"Mommy! We didn't hear you come in," Anna said, running over to hug Mrs. Novak.

"Apparently," Mrs. Novak teased, squeezing her youngest child tightly.

"Sorry momma," Gabriel apologized, smiling over at her sheepishly.

"It's fine, my darling son," Mrs. Novak laughed, walking over to kiss Gabriel on the forehead once she had let go of Anna.

She was just about to greet Castiel next when she noticed his swollen black eye and gasped.

"Oh my goodness, Castiel!" she exclaimed, walking over to him, placing her hands on both sides of his cheeks, "What in the world happened?"

"I'm fine, momma. It was just a little fight," Castiel told her, and it wasn't a complete lie.

"Who did this to you?" Mrs. Novak demanded, visibly furious.

"Honestly momma, it's not a big deal," Castiel said, offering her a weak smile.

"That's where you are wrong, sweetheart. When someone hurts one of my babies, it's a very big deal," Mrs. Novak stated, continuing to examine him.

"Cassie said he took care of it," Gabriel piped up, "trust me, I already offered to destroy the person who dared to lay a hand on my baby brother."

"Responding to violence with violence was not what I had in mind, Gabriel," Mrs. Novak scolded.

"Please don't tell me you were going to call the dude's parents? That would just get Castiel an even bigger ass kicking," Gabriel said, earning a chastising look from his mother. "Pardon my language, twerp," he added, addressing Anna, who stuck her tongue out at him.

"He's right, momma. I've got it under control," Castiel told Mrs. Novak.

"Is that a bite mark?!" Mrs. Novak exclaimed, not hearing Castiel's last remark.

Turning his head to the side, Mrs. Novak looked at the bruise on his neck carefully, unable to hide her anger.

"Whoa, momma… before you start kicking down doors you might want to let Castiel explain that one…" Gabriel said as he and Anna tried not to laugh.

"…The black eye and the bite mark aren't… um… they're not related…" Castiel stammered.

Suddenly, it dawned on Mrs. Novak what Castiel was trying to tell her and she immediately let go of his face, blushing ever so slightly.

"There are some things a mother does not need to know about her children," she teased, attempting to alleviate some of the tension in the room.

"Amen," Castiel retorted, shooting his siblings a dirty look as they continued to snicker.

"Hold on just a second, young man. Just because I don't want the details of your sexual encounters doesn't mean I'm going to ignore the giant bite mark on your neck. Are you being safe, Castiel? Do we need to have the talk?" Mrs. Novak asked, making all of her children groan in horror.

"Mother! I haven't done anything! I promise I'll be safe but please don't start talking about sex," Castiel begged.

"Alright, alright. But if you have any questions you know you can come to me," Mrs. Novak said as she started to prepare the kitchen so that she could make dinner.

"My mother and my baby brother discussing butt sex… I hope I'm in China if that conversation ever has to take place," Gabriel muttered, making Anna snort.

"Gabriel Alexander Novak!" Mrs. Novak gasped, putting her hands on her hips.

"What? I'm just sayin'!" Gabriel defended himself, and Castiel wanted nothing more than to hide under a rock.

"Set the table before I turn you over my knee," Mrs. Novak ordered, addressing her eldest son.

"Yes ma'am," Gabriel replied, getting up to do as he was told.

"Castiel, we are going to finish talking about the fight you were in later but for now please chop up an onion for the spaghetti sauce," Mrs. Novak said, assigning everyone a job, "Anna, would you please grab a pot for the noodles?"

"Yes ma'am," Castiel and Anna answered one after the other.

**XXXX**

By the time Mr. Novak got home from work at six that evening, dinner was ready and on the table.

"Hello darling," Mrs. Novak greeted her husband as he entered the kitchen, setting his briefcase down on the counter.

"Hello gorgeous," Mr. Novak replied, giving her a quick kiss on the lips before sitting down at his usual spot at the table.

Looking around at his children, Mr. Novak was just about to ask everybody how their day had been when he saw Castiel's black eye.

"Another fight, son?" Mr. Novak asked as Castiel lowered his head.

"Yes sir," he mumbled.

"On a positive note, Cassie says he held his own," Gabriel jumped in, giving Castiel a comforting pat on the back.

"While I'm glad that your brother defended himself, Gabriel, I'd rather he not fight at all," Mr. Novak said, deflating Gabriel's defense.

"I know, dad. I didn't start the fight," Castiel explained.

"Then who did?" Mr. Novak asked as Mrs. Novak began dishing out spaghetti.

"It's really not a big deal. Like I said before, I handled it," Castiel told him, trying not to sound as annoyed as he felt.

"Oh, you handled it? Is that why you are covered in bruises?" Mr. Novak questioned, sarcasm evident in his tone.

"I didn't asked to be punched in the face, dad. Can you please stop acting like this is my fault?" Castiel shot back.

"And who's fault was it Castiel? You know that folks around don't agree with the way you are but you still refuse to keep your head down!" Mr. Novak shouted, losing his temper.

"The way I am? Why is it that every time I get in a fight you assume it's because I was running around being flamboyant?!" Castiel yelled, "I always keep to myself, yet everyone seems to think my life is their business. Well, guess what? It isn't! And I don't give a shit about what the people of this town think about me!"

"Watch your mouth young man," Mr. Novak warned, slamming his fist on the table.

"Both of you, enough, please," Mrs. Novak begged as Anna looked down at her plate, silent tears rolling down her face.

"Seriously dad?" Gabriel asked, shaking his head.

"Don't start, Gabriel," Mr. Novak commanded.

"So I'm just supposed to sit here while you belittle my brother? Forget that," Gabriel said, refusing to back down.

"I'm not belittling your brother, Gabriel, but Castiel doesn't do himself any favors by flaunting the fact that he's different," Mr. Novak said, making Castiel see red.

"I don't flaunt anything! And I certainly don't go around bringing up my sexuality as a conversation starter. I'm sorry that I was born in a town of less than three hundred people who have nothing better to do than judge me, but I am not the problem here," Castiel shouted, pushing his chair back from the table to stand up.

"Where do you think you are going?" Mr. Novak called after him as Castiel left the kitchen.

"For a walk," he stated before heading out the front door, slamming it behind him.

To be continued…


	9. Always Expect the Unexpected: Part One

After his second time around the block, Castiel was finally starting to calm down. In the course of his walk, the sun had set, leaving him to make his way home in the dark, a warm breeze brushing across his skin as he kept up a steady pace. Castiel felt no sense of urgency to return to his house, the thought of having to face his father again weighing heavily on his mind. He was so sick and tired of Mr. Novak thinking he walked around trying to piss people of with his sexuality that it made him want to scream. Nothing could have been further from the truth. All Castiel wanted was to be left alone. Besides, even though most people failed to remember, he hadn't even been the one who had outed himself in the first place. Castiel had been perfectly content keeping the fact that he was gay a secret and had done so for quite a while before his ex-friend Alana Walker ruined everything.

Two years ago, the week after Castiel turned fifteen, he made the decision to tell Pamela and Alana about his sexual preference, the two of them being his closest friends. Alana had been such a caring and understanding person that Castiel hadn't thought twice about trusting her. However, she wasted little time telling everyone at school Castiel's secret, making him a target of physical and verbal abuse. To make a long painful story short, it had never been Castiel's intention to have the whole town find out about his sexual orientation but Mr. Novak would not accept that fact, no matter how hard Castiel tried to convince him. And Castiel couldn't, for the life of him, understand why his father believed he was basically running around wearing a neon sign that stated he was gay, especially after witnessing the aftermath of all of the fights he had been wrangled into.

Pushing away his troublesome thoughts, Castiel took a deep breath, trying not to lose his temper again as he finally reached the sidewalk in front of his house.

"You look constipated, Novak," Castiel heard a voice shout suddenly from somewhere to his right.

Turning his head, he saw Dean, leaning against one of the beams of his front porch, a cigarette in his hand.

"Don't you have anything better to do than aggravate me?" Castiel asked, taking a couple steps toward the Winchesters' yard.

"Aggravating you is one of my favorite hobbies," Dean said, a smirk visible on his face even in the dim light of the street lamp.

"Good to know someone is benefiting from it," Castiel replied, making his way across the lawn to join Dean on the porch.

"What are you doing out at this time a night?" Dean inquired, blowing the smoke from his cigarette upward so that it won't hit Castiel in the face.

"It's only 7:30, Dean," Castiel chuckled, walking over to sit on the tattered wooden porch swing behind him.

"That's like midnight for you, isn't it?" Dean joked, turning so that he could look at Castiel.

"I'm perfectly capable of staying up late on the weekend," Castiel said defensively.

"My bad," Dean mocked, finishing his cigarette.

"Truthfully, I'm just trying to avoid my dad," Castiel admitted nervously, looking down at his lap.

He didn't know why he felt compelled to tell Dean about his personal issues, especially since this was the guy who had made it crystal clear in years passed that he could give a shit less about Castiel, but the words had just sort of spilled out of his mouth.

"Yeah?" Dean asked hesitantly, walking over to open his front door.

"Yeah, I'm just not up to fighting with him again right now," Castiel mumbled in reply.

"I know how that is…," Dean said, looking over at him, "you want to come inside for a while and watch TV with Sammy and me?"

Being invited inside to hangout was the last thing Castiel had ever expected when he had come over to talk to Dean, which was why his jaw nearly hit the floor when the words sank in.

"Really?" Castiel questioned skeptically, turning his attention to Dean.

"Dude, just get your ass in here," Dean replied, holding the door open for him.

With no further argument, Castiel got off the swing and entered the house.

Once inside, the smell of popcorn filled his nose as he saw Sam exiting the kitchen with a large bowl in his hand.

"Oh, hey Casitel," Sam greeted him cheerfully.

"Hi," He replied as Dean walked passed him to sit on the couch in the living room.

"Cas is going to watch Main Event with us," Dean informed Sam who smiled happily, taking a seat next to his big brother.

Following suit, Castiel made his way over to join the two of them. However, when he reached his destination, he was presented with a difficult decision. Was he supposed to sit in the recliner to the right of the couch or take the seat next to Dean?

Standing there awkwardly, Castiel looked from one spot to the other, struggling to make a choice.

"Will you sit down already? It's starting," Dean asked, interrupting Castiel's internal debate by patting the cushion next to him.

Taking the hint, Castiel quickly plopped down on the couch, grabbing a handful of popcorn when Sam offered him the bowl.

"Do you like the WWE, Castiel?" Sam inquired as the ring announcer introduced the first opponent of the match, kicking off the program.

"I do, actually," Castiel said, noticing a look of surprise flash across Dean's face at his confirmation.

"Awesome, who's your favorite wrestler?" Sam asked.

"Of all time or currently?" Castiel wondered, wanting to specify before he gave Sam a name.

"Currently," Sam said, looking over at him in anticipation of his answer.

"Randy Orton," Castiel replied, causing Sam to frown.

"You're joking? How could you like Orton? He's such an ass!" Sam complained, turning his attention back to the TV.

"No need to get hostile, little brother. Orton's a third generation superstar and the most talented out of them all," Dean said, coming to Castiel's defense.

"Please, John Cena is the best. Orton couldn't hold a candle to him," Sam retorted, throwing a piece of popcorn at Dean.

"Whatever helps you sleep at night, Sammy," Dean laughed, picking up the kernel and tossing into his mouth.

"John Cena is great too, I just prefer Orton," Castiel chimed in, reaching over to grab another handful of popcorn.

"I just don't get it," Sam huffed, "Orton is a cheater who throws a temper tantrum when he doesn't get his way."

"So what? He gets the W more often than not, that's all that matters," Dean pointed out.

"And he's ridiculously good looking," Castiel added before he could stop himself.

Registering his words, both of the Winchesters turned to look at him, unreadable expressions on their faces.

Nervously shifting in his seat, Castiel silently prayed that he hadn't made the situation so awkward that the three of them couldn't recover. He hadn't meant to just blurt out that he was attracted to one of the wrestlers and he was completely mortified that he was stupid enough to do such a thing at Dean Winchester's house, of all places.

After what seemed like the longest pause in history, Castiel cleared his throat, getting ready to apologize when Sam finally spoke.

"Whatever, dude. Cena probably gets more chicks than Orton," Sam said, his brother making a noise of disagreement.

"Bullshit, Sammy. Orton gets so much more ass than Cena," He argued as Sam got up from his seat.

"No way," Sam laughed, rolling his eyes. "Do you want something to drink?" He added, looking over at Castiel whose heart was threatening to pound out of his chest.

"Um, sure, can I have a glass of water?" Castiel asked, still extremely embarrassed.

"Of course," Sam replied, smiling.

"Bring me a beer, bitch," Dean shouted after his little brother as he went the kitchen.

"Jerk!" Sam called back, leaving Dean and Castiel alone in the living room.

"You okay, sweetheart? Dean asked, noticing Castiel's body tensing up beside him.

"I didn't mean to say that…," Castiel mumbled.

"What? That comment about Orton?" Dean inquired, nudging his knee against Castiel's, "Don't worry about it, Sammy doesn't care that you're gay."

"I know, he's an awesome kid," Castiel stated, making Dean smile.

"Then why are you acting so shifty?" Dean asked.

"Sam's not the only one I'm worried about offending…," Castiel admitted, looking over at Dean.

"We're cool, Cas. I'm not offended," Dean said, "Besides, you're not the only one who thinks Orton's hot," He added leaning over to whisper the last part in Castiel's ear.

Smiling like the Cheshire cat, Castiel elbowed him playfully, relaxing once he was sure Dean wasn't mad.

"Of course, I know someone who's way hotter than Orton," Castiel teased, leaning against Dean.

"Oh yeah? Do I know him?" Dean asked, pretending to be oblivious.

"You're an idiot," Castiel replied as Sam reappeared, holding a glass of water in his left hand and an opened beer bottle in his right. He also had a can of soda for himself skillfully wedged under his arm so that he didn't have to make a second trip to the kitchen.

"I don't even know why he's calling you an idiot but I agree," Sam said, handing the water to Castiel who thanked him.

"Shut up and sit down," Dean griped, taking the beer out of Sam's hand.

With a sly smile at Castiel, Sam returned to his spot on the couch next to Dean, opening his can of soda.

Before drinking, the two brothers tapped their beverages together in what appeared to be a silent toast.

Castiel couldn't help but think how adorable Dean and Sam were together when he heard the front door open, looking over his shoulder to see John Winchester stumbling inside.

"Hey dad," Dean said, sitting his beer on the coffee table before getting up to help his father.

"Son, where's your brother?" John asked, slurring his words.

"I'm right here, dad," Sam piped up, standing so John could see him.

"Let's get you to bed, okay?" Dean said softly, putting his father's arm around his neck to help him walk.

"Good boy," John mumbled, looking at Dean.

Nodding in response, Dean got his father all the way to the stair before John noticed Castiel sitting on the couch.

"You hanging out with that Novak boy?" John asked accusingly, shooting Castiel a dirty look.

"I invited Castiel over to watch Main Event with us," Sam interjected, lying to take the blame off of his older brother.

"I don't want you around that fag, you understand me?" John told Dean, completely ignoring Sam.

Knowing that John was drunk off his ass, Castiel bite the inside of his cheek to hold back from telling Mr. Winchester to deep throat a cactus. He was usually pretty good at keeping his mouth shut when an adult decided to make a rude comment about his sexuality but this particular instance was proving to be quite the challenge. John had been on Castiel shit list ever since he had found out that the bastard had hit Dean and he was just inching to give the older man a piece of his mind.

"Dad, stop, you're wasted," Dean said, trying to drag John up the stairs.

"I forbid you to talk to him, I mean it, Dean," John demanded.

For a moment, Dean just looked at John, his face painted with conflicting emotions. It was as if he wanted to say something to his father but couldn't find the words.

Whatever he wanted to say, it seemed like it was damn near impossible for Dean to utter and in a split second, Castiel saw his demeanor change completely, as though he were accepting defeat.

"Yes sir," Dean finally agreed, squaring his shoulder and tightening his jaw, just as solider would do when acknowledging a command from a superior officer.

Seeming as though he only needed to hear those two simple words to get himself under control, John then slumped against Dean's shoulder, allowing his eldest son to take him up the stairs and into his bedroom without any further struggle.

"I'm so sorry, Castiel," Sam said earnestly, once John was out of earshot.

He looked thoroughly ashamed of what had just taken place as he stood there trying to apologized for his father's actions.

"It's honestly okay," Castiel assured him, offering him a small smile.

"No, it's not. I can't believe that jackass! Drunk or not, that was uncalled for," Sam fumed.

"Don't worry about it, Sam. It's not your fault," Castiel said, getting up from the couch. "I should probably go," He added, hoping to escape before Dean came back.

"Don't go Castiel, please? My dad is out for the night, trust me. I'd really like it if you stayed to watch the rest of Main Event," Sam begged, busting out his infamous puppy dog look.

Castiel, trying to avoid eye contact, was just about to decline Sam's offer when he heard Dean shuffling down the stairs.

"He's out," Dean announced somberly, looking at Sam, "asleep before his head ever hit the pillow."

"See?" Sam said, "Dean tell Castiel that dad won't bother us for the rest of the night."

Turning his head, Castiel dared to catch Dean's eye, expecting him to tell him to get lost.

"He probably won't even turn over until tomorrow," Dean explained, walking over to the couch,  
>"Once he passes out, he's dead to the world."<p>

"Please stay?" Sam asked again as Castiel stared at Dean, unable to tell if he wanted him to stay or go.

"I don't know…," Castiel said, biting his bottom lip.

"Both of you better sit down and shut your pieholes, the main event is starting," Dean ordered, pulling Castiel down onto the couch with him.

"Roman Reigns is about to win this shit," Sam jeered, jumping on his older brother who grabbed him, putting him in a headlock.

"You wish, Orton is gonna mop the floor with that punk," Dean teased, ruffling Sam's hair.

Struggling to get out of his big brother's grasp, Sam then surged forward, knocking Dean into Castiel.

"I can't pay attention to the wrestling match on TV when there is one happening on top of me," Castiel huffed, punching Dean in the side.

"Excuse us, your majesty," Sam replied sarcastically, making his brother beam with pride.

Letting Sam go, Dean elbowed Castiel who kicked him in the foot before turning his attention back to the screen.

As they watched the match, Castiel was extremely grateful that the tension from earlier had completely dissipated. He didn't want to think about John's words or the repercussions they might have, for now he was happy to be hanging out with Sam and Dean, having fun.

"Oh, spear!" Sam cheered as Roman Reigns delivered his signature move to Randy Orton.

"He's gonna kick out," Dean said nonchalantly when Reigns went for the pin.

As if on cue, Orton was able to get his shoulder up at the last minute, continuing the match.

"Damn that was close," Castiel said, nervously scooting up to sit on the edge of the couch.

"Orton's got this, dude, don't panic," Dean told him, patting Castiel on the back.

"Both of you, just do me a favor? When Reigns wins, don't cry," Sam taunted as Orton rolled out of the ring in an attempt to catch his breath.

"I'm going to beat your little sarcastic ass if you don't cool it," Dean threatened.

Sam was just about to reply to his brother, sarcastically no doubt, when there was a pop in the crowd as Orton RKO'd Reigns.

"That's it! It's over, son," Dean laughed, high fiving Castiel when the referee called for the bell after the three count.

"Damn it," Sam sighed, slumping against the back of the couch.

"Better luck next time, Sammy," Dean teased before taking a swig of his beer that sat untouched on the coffee table up until that moment.

"Eat my shorts," Sam pouted.

"A+ for using a movie reference as a comeback, Sam," Castiel congratulated, shooting him a smile.

"Hell yeah, the Breakfast Club is awesome," Sam replied, perking up a little.

"Oh no, not you too?" Dean asked, giving Castiel a resentful look.

"Are you trying to tell me you don't like the Breakfast Club?" Castiel inquired, almost offended.

"It's a chick flick!" Dean said defensively.

"Bite your tongue heathen! It's a classic!" Castiel replied incredulously.

"Forget what Dean thinks, let's watch it, what do you say Castiel?" Sam asked, ignoring his big brother.

"I'd love to but it's getting late and my curfew 10 on the weekends," Castiel said, looking at his watch which read 9:30.

"Hold up, you have a curfew?" Dean asked, laughing at him.

"Shut up, Dean," Sam said crossly, "just spend the night here, that way you don't have to be home for curfew," He added, offering Castiel a solution.

"What about your dad?" Castiel asked, not wanting to wake up the next morning to a furious John Winchester.

"Dude, my dad probably won't even crawl out of bed till tomorrow night. Seriously, he won't know the difference," Sam promised, trying to convince Castiel to stay.

"Okay, I'll call me mom and ask but I don't make any promises. I got into a pretty big argument with my dad before I left so he might put his foot down and say no even if my mom gives me permission," Castiel explained.

"I totally get it," Sam said before Castiel grabbed his phone out of his pocket and called his mom.

After the second ring, Mrs. Novak answered in a panic.

"Are you okay? Where have you been?" She asked, forgoing any of the standard greetings.

"Hello to you too, momma, and I'm completely fine, I just went for a walk and then to a friend's house," Castiel said calmly.

"Well, next time you decided to run off like that can you at least send your poor mother a text message or a smoke signal or something? I was worried sick," Mrs. Novak scolded, making Castiel feel terrible for not letting her know where he was.

"I'm sorry momma, I promise the next time I storm out of the house in a rage, you'll be the first to know where I end up," He said, trying to make Mrs. Novak laugh.

"My son, the comedian," Mrs. Novak retorted dryly, although her tone seemed a bit lighter.

"Getting off subject, I was actually calling to see if I could spend the night at Sam's house," Castiel asked, using Sam's name instead of Dean's because he knew what his mother's reaction would be if he said the former.

"Sam?" She inquired as though she were searching her mind for a face to match with the name.

"Yeah, Sam Winchester," Castiel said, bracing himself for her reply.

"Sam Winchester? As in the Sam Winchester from next door?" Mrs. Novak asked, extremely confused.

"Yeah, we were just gonna hangout and watch the Breakfast Club," Castiel explained as Dean and Sam watched him closely.

"I don't know Castiel, your father probably won't like the idea," Mrs. Novak said.

"Please momma, I really don't want to deal with dad anymore tonight. I'm tired and I just want to watch a movie with my friend. Besides, I'm right next door," Castiel begged, his mother sighing in defeat when he was done.

"Fine, I'll deal with your father but I want you home by nine tomorrow morning," Mrs. Novak told him.

"Thanks mom!" Castiel said, giving Sam a thumbs up.

"Good night, darling. I love you," Mrs. Novak told him, chuckling at her son's enthusiasm.

"Night momma, I love you too," Castiel replied before hanging up the phone.

"Well, on that note, I'm out nerds," Dean said, getting up from the couch as Sam went over to set up the TV.

"Night jerk," Sam called, not bothering to look over at his big brother as he opened the DVD player.

"Sleep tight, bitch," Dean retorted heading up the stairs.

Getting used to Dean's mood swings, which admittedly was probably not a good thing, Castiel wasn't even that upset when Dean neglected to say good night to him before going to his room.

Instead, he just sighed, shaking his head as Sam joined him on the couch once more, taking the seat that formally belonged to his brother.

"You ready for this?" Sam asked excitedly.

"I was born ready," Castiel teased, Sam taking that as he cue to push play.


	10. Alway Expect the Unexpected: Part Two

An hour into the movie, Sam passed out, slumping to his left so that he was lying sideways on the couch.

Yawning, Castiel was just about to move over to the recliner so that he could have more room to stretch out when he heard footstep from upstairs.

His heart began to thump wildly in his chest as he looked to his right, hoping that the person responsible for the noise wasn't John.

Holding his breath, Castiel fixed his eyes on the stairs, beyond grateful when it was Dean who appeared and not Mr. Winchester.

"I see Sammy passed out on you," Dean whispered, coming over to the couch.

He had changed out of his street clothes and was now wearing a pair of green plaid pajama bottoms and no shirt, revealing a strange tattoo on his chest over his heart.

Castiel had often wondered what the tattoo meant, having seen it before thanks to the PE class they had together.

"Yeah, it's all good though," Castiel replied, smiling sleepily. He was trying not to stare but failing miserably as he noticed the way Dean's pants sat low on his hips, showing off his toned abdominal muscles.

"Hey, you mind not eye fucking me while my little brother is laying right there?" Dean teased, making Castiel turn bright red.

"You should have thought about that before you showed up half naked," Castiel retorted as Dean grabbed the blanket that was hanging over the back of the couch and covered Sam.

Chuckling softly, Dean then went over to the entertainment center, stopping the movie before shutting off the TV.

"Come on," He ordered once he was done, motioning for Castiel to follow him.

Doing as he was told, Castiel got up slowly, so that he wouldn't disturb Sam, maneuvering his way around the coffee table and the recliner to follow Dean up the stairs and into his bedroom.

Once the door was shut, Dean locked it while Castiel looked around, noticing how different Dean's room was from the last time he was there. It made perfect sense that nothing was the same, considering they were only children the last time he had seen it.

Instead of Hot Wheel scattered across the floor and Power Rangers posters everywhere like Castiel remember, Dean's room was now littered with dirty clothes and there were pictures of muscle cars and half naked chicks pinned to the walls.

The only thing that was the same was the Beatles poster that hung above Dean's bed, which was a full size mattress with no box springs, pushed sideway against the far wall of the room.

"Here, you can wear these," Dean told him suddenly, distracting Castiel from examining the rest of his room by handing him a pair of black sweat pants and a ratted ACDC shirt of the same color.

"Thanks," Castiel said, accepting the clothing before going to unlock Dean's door.

He was just about to turn the latch when Dean stopped him.

"What are you doing?" He asked, picking up an arm full of dirty clothes and throwing them into a corner.

"I was gonna go change in the bathroom," Castiel replied as if it was the most obvious thing he had ever said.

"Dude, really? Just change in here," Dean laughed, moving a pile of CDs off his mattress onto the computer desk next to his door.

Nervously, Castiel nodded, sitting down the clothes Dean gave him so that he could pull off his shirt.

While he was changing, Dean kept his eyes averted, fiddling with his radio as he put on a Garth Brooks CD, flipping through the tracks until he found 'Cowboys and Angels.'

Castiel, recognizing the song immediately, smiled happily at Dean's choice.

"You like country music?" Castiel asked disbelieving, setting his shoes and clothes on the floor in a neat pile once he was done changing.

"I'm from the south, Cas, I'm pretty sure it's illegal for me not to like country music," Dean joked, squatting down to straighten out the sheets on his bed.

"You have a point," Castiel agreed.

"This dude is your favorite right? Or have you grown out of your love for fat guys in tight jeans and cowboy hats?" Dean asked, shooting Castiel a shit eating grin.

"Kiss my ass, Winchester. Garth Brooks is a musical genius and it's not my fault his chubby cheeks are adorable," Castiel teased, crossing his arms.

"Good lord, do you remember how you used to make me listen to the same song by him over and over again? What was it called?" Dean inquired, reminiscing about their childhood.

"Two of a Kind, Workin' on a Full House," Castiel recalled, laughing at the thought of five year old Dean making a rude comment about his ears being on the verge of bleeding after the tenth time the song played. "I'm surprised you remember that," He added, thoughtfully.

It was crazy to Castiel that Dean, who had publically stated multiple times that he regretted ever hanging out with Castiel when they were children, was now standing in front of him talking fondly about the days when they used to be friends.

"Which side do you want?" Dean asked abruptly, changing the subject as he pointed to the mattress.

"Of the bed?" Castiel inquired, completely perplexed.

It seemed that their trip down memory lane was over, now replaced with an awkward situation.

"No, of the spaceship," Dean said sarcastically, giving him an "are you serious?" look, "Yes, of the bed."

"You don't want me to sleep on the floor?" Castiel asked, still utterly confused.

"Why the hell would I want you to sleep on the floor?" Dean shot back incredulously.

Shrugging his shoulders, Castiel looked down, his nerves frazzled at the thought of sharing a bed with Dean. He didn't want to freak out but he seriously couldn't believe that Dean had even brought him to his room, let alone that he was offering to share his bed. It was all extremely overwhelming.

As if he could sense Castiel's internal meltdown, Dean then stood up, grabbing him by the hand and squeezing it lightly.

"Cas, do you want the side closest to the wall? Or do you need the other side so you can have an open space?" Dean asked, his voice calm and gentle.

"Um, I'll take the side closest to the wall…," Castiel mumbled, holding Dean's hand for support.

"Sounds good," Dean said, smiling at him, "you ready to go to sleep?"

"Yeah, I'm exhausted," Castiel agreed, releasing Dean's hand so he could drop down onto the bed.

He then maneuvered his way over to the far side of the mattress, burrowing under the large blue blanket Dean kept on his bed.

Once Castiel was settled, Dean flipped off the light before joining him on the mattress, lying on his stomach.

Unsure what to do next, Castiel turned to face the wall, his back toward Dean.

A few minutes passed as he lay there, nervous and uncomfortable, trying to find the courage to say something to the other boy.

"I can practically hear you thinking," Dean stated after a brutally long, painful span of silence.

"What your dad said earlier, you're going to listen to him aren't you? When I leave tomorrow you aren't going to talk to me again, right?" Castiel asked, trying not to sound as miserable as he felt.

He wasn't sure if he wanted to hear Dean's reply but he had to know what he thought about his father's order and if he was being serious when he had agreed to it.

As Castiel waited patiently for an answer, it seemed at first that Dean was going to ignore his question, another awkward silence falling between them.

Then, just when Castiel was about to give up and accept the fact that this was probably the last time he and Dean would be friendly toward each other, he felt Dean wrap his arm around his waist, pulling him close.

Initially, Castiel couldn't help but tense up, unaccustomed to Dean's touches being so gentle.

"Relax, Cas," Dean whispered, kissing his neck softly.

Trying to comply, Castiel leaned back against Dean's chest, turning his head slightly to the left so that he could give him a peck on the cheek.

"I don't want you to go back to ignoring me," Castiel pleaded, studying the silhouette of Dean's face in the darkness.

In response, he felt Dean's lips press against his, distracting him from his distressing thoughts.

"Everything will be okay, Cas," Dean said, pulling back from the kiss after a moment, "Just try to sleep," He added, placing gentle kisses against Castiel's cheek and down his jawline.

"Why is it that even though I don't believe you, you can still get me to do what you want?" Castiel asked, snuggling down before grabbing the hand that Dean had around his waist and intertwining their fingers.

"Cause I'm freaking velvety smooth," Dean teased, kissing Castiel's neck again, making him shiver.

"You're a freaking assbutt, that's what you are," Castiel said before yawning.

"Really? Assbutt?" Dean asked, but Castiel was so tired he didn't have to strength to defend the insult.

"Good night, Dean," He mumbled, unable to hold his eyes open any longer.

"Night, Cas," Dean replied before Castiel fell asleep in his arms.


	11. The Morning After

The next morning, Castiel woke up to a strange rattling sound.

"Is that your phone?" Dean asked, sounding extremely annoyed.

Hearing Dean's voice, Castiel's eyes fluttered open, taking a moment to register where he was.

"Yeah, I think so…," Castiel replied, noticing that Dean's arm was still around his waist.

"Jesus Christ, Cas, who the hell is calling you so early?" Dean complained, while Castiel gingerly rubbed his eyes, trying to gather his wits.

"It's 8:15, Dean, not the butt crack of dawn," Castiel said, his voice hoarse, looking over his shoulder to checked the clock that was on Dean's computer desk.

"Same fucking thing," Dean whined, untangling himself from Castiel to roll on his back.

"Stop bitching," Castiel teased, quoting Dean to Dean as he got up from the bed to grab his phone from his pants.

Groaning loudly, Dean put his pillow over his face, flipping Castiel off.

Choosing to ignore Dean's temper tantrum, Castiel took his phone out of the pocket of his jeans, a split second too late before missing the call. Examining the screen, he soon noticed an alert informing him that the caller had been Pamela.

Still disoriented, Castiel then took his phone back to Dean's bed, snuggling up next to him before calling her back.

The phone had barely rang once when Pamela answered, startling Castiel.

"You spent the night at Dean Winchester's house?" She asked, giving her groggy best friend absolutely no time to prepare himself for her question.

"How do you even know that?" Castiel inquired, sounding cranky.

His head was throbbing and it was too early for him to deal with an interrogation. Furthermore, to make matters worse, he couldn't see out of his right eye at all, curtesy of Dean's fist from the day before.

"Well, when I got to your house about five minutes ago to go to breakfast with you for my birthday, your brother informed me that you were at Dean's house and that you had spent the night. I had to find this out from Gabriel, Castiel. What the actual fuck?" Pamela ranted.

"Pamela Rose Barnes, your birthday isn't until Wednesday," Castiel stated simply, once she had paused to take a breath.

"Oh no you don't, you little shit. You are not going to gloss over the fact that you are at that ass clown's house right now. And you know my birthday is a weeklong celebration," Pamela scolded, not letting Castiel off the hook.

"What the hell does she want?" Dean asked suddenly, removing the pillow from his face when he heard Castiel sigh dramatically.

"Is that Dean? Did you make a move? Did he make a move?" Pamela questioned, unable to hold back her curiosity.

"She wants to be a giant pain in my ass. And it's working," Castiel told Dean, ignoring his best friend.

"Since when do you curse?!" Pamela shouted, hearing Castiel say a bad word for the first time, and if his head hadn't felt as though it were going to explode, he would have laughed at her reaction.

Groaning in frustration, Castiel was about to tell Pamela he'd be home in five when Dean rolled over, straddling him.

Taking the phone out of Castiel's hand, Dean then leaned forward, kissing him softly on the lips.

"He'll have to call you back, darling," Dean said into the phone before ending the call.

Too stunned to move or speak, Castiel could only lay there looking up at him, as he wasted little time going in for another kiss.

Better prepared the second go around, Castiel kissed him back, wrapping his arms around Dean's neck.

Smirking against his lips when he felt him respond, Dean had just slipped his hands under Castiel's shirt, caressing his skin lightly, when Castiel's phone started vibrating again.

"She's persistent, I'll give her that," Dean said, sitting up, much to Castiel's dismay.

"I'm going to kill her," Castiel stated, making Dean laugh as he got off of him.

Grabbing his phone once more, Castiel hit the talk button aggressively.

"I'm on my way, ya cock blocker," He said, hanging up before Pamela could respond.

Rolling his eyes, Castiel then looked over at Dean who had gotten up off the bed and was now leaning against his computer desk.

"Why'd you say that?" Dean asked, his tone bone-chilling.

At first, Castiel wasn't sure what he was referring to, but he could see a noticeable change in Dean's body language. He was rigid, his expression cold, the look all too familiar to Castiel.

Suddenly, the realization that he had just blatantly told Pamela that Dean and he were fooling around hit him like a ton of bricks.

A brief moment of panic washed over Castiel has he tried to remain calm. Determined not to feel guilty for telling his best friend something he had every right to tell her, Castiel shrugged his shoulders at Dean, putting on his best game face.

"What? You were the one who came onto me while I was on the phone with her. Besides, she already had her suspicions. She's not stupid, Dean," Castiel explained defensively, standing up to put his cell phone in the right pocket of his sweatpants.

"I'm not joking, Castiel. Don't go running your mouth," Dean warned, grabbing him by his shoulders, his fingers digging into Castiel's skin, bruising him.

"Pamela won't say anything if I ask her not to. She's my best friend, I trust her," Castiel told him, pushing Dean's hands away.

Not in the mood for one of Dean's Mr. Hyde moments, Castiel then went to collect his things off the floor in hopes of leaving when before he knew what hit him, Dean had him pinned against the closest wall.

"Are we really going to make a habit out of you getting pissed off and shoving me against random surfaces?" Castiel asked, taking a deep breath in an attempt to recover from the impact his body had just made with the drywall.

Refusing to be intimidated, he then straightened his posture, getting in Dean's face so that they were nose to nose. He would not let himself be frightened by Dean, not by the boy who had just been so sweet and gentle with him the night before.

"Are you really going to stand there and pretend you don't enjoy it?" Dean retorted, running his index finger along the elastic of Castiel's sweatpants.

Acting on pure adrenaline, Castiel responded by surging forward, kissing him roughly as he ranked his fingernails down Dean's bare chest, making him moan.

"Sometimes you make me so mad I want to scream," Castiel said between clenched teeth when Dean broke the kiss quickly, teasing him.

"While making you scream is definitely a high priority on my to do list, I'm unfortunately gonna have to save that one for later. Don't want to wake up my pops or the munchkin," Dean told him, a cocky smile on his face.

Forcing himself not to smile back, Castiel just rolled his eyes, trying his best not to react when Dean started peppering kisses down his neck.

Unfortunately for him, he wasn't able to hold out very long.

Before he could stop himself, Castiel had threaded his fingers through Dean's hair, letting out a needy whimper when he felt Dean nip at his collar bone.

"Smug bastard," Castiel said under his breath, powerless to resist the other boy's advances.

"I've been called worse,' Dean replied, pushing his left high between Castiel's legs so that he could rub it against his crotch.

The action was enough to make Castiel, who was already half hard, let out a loud, guttural moan at the much needed friction

"Shhh, baby," Dean whispered, kissing him gently on the lips, "even though I would love to hear those filthy sounds continue to come out of that gorgeous mouth, I can't take the risk of my dad waking up," He added, placing his hands on both sides of Castiel's face, forcing him to look him in the eyes.

Biting his bottom lip, Castiel nodded, confirming that he understood.

"Good boy," Dean said, pushing his thigh up once more to grind against Castiel's dick.

It was all Castiel could do not to make another noise as he body tingled with pleasure each time Dean moved. Closing his eyes, he grabbed the tops of Dean's shoulders, pressing their foreheads together.

"Move faster," He ordered, panting as he met each one of Dean's movements with a thrust of his hips.

"Wow, I'm actually participating in dry humping," Dean stated suddenly, laughing as he ran his fingers though Castiel's hair, tugging on it lightly, "this is so PG," He teased, making Castiel stop moving.

"Sorry to bore you," Castiel said bitterly, pulling his head back and opening his eyes.

"Shit, that's not what I meant," Dean told him, attempting to backtrack.

"Please, enlighten me," Castiel replied, narrowing his eyes.

"…It's just surprising to me how hot this is…I mean shit, you're fully clothed and I'm still so fucking turned on, I'm just not used to that," Dean explained nervously, expressing himself more in that moment than he had in the entire time Castiel had known him.

"Nice save, Winchester," Castiel teased in an attempt to strike up their normal sarcastic banter, noticing that Dean seemed extremely uncomfortable talking about his feelings.

"Oh, he's got jokes," Dean taunted, sliding his thigh upwards agonizingly slow, making Castiel gasp at the sudden sensation.

"Would you please just stop torturing me?" Castiel asked impatiently, closing his eyes once more.

"Not a chance in hell," Dean said lustfully, grabbing Castiel's hips to hold him in place, "I'm gonna take my time until your begging for it."

"Keep dreaming, Winchester," Castiel told him, barely holding back a moan as Dean put more pressure against his erection.

"Is that a challenge, Novak?" Dean asked, not waiting for reply before crashing his lips against Castiel's.

Opening his mouth, Castiel felt Dean's tongue find his own as he moved his hands down to Dean's back, feeling his muscle flex as he kissed Castiel passionately.

The kiss was hot and slow, Dean continuing to grind against Castiel, bringing him closer and closer to the edge.

"Aren't you supposed to be making me beg?" Castiel asked suddenly, pulling his lips away from Dean's to catch his breath.

He knew he shouldn't taunt Dean, especially in the state he was in, but he couldn't help himself. Smiling, he looked up, silently daring Dean to make a move, his bright blue eyes shining mischievously.

"Why do I get the feeling you want me to?" Dean retorted, taking Castiel's bottom lip between his teeth and tugging on it roughly.

"The only thing I want you to do is make me cum," Castiel said, surprising not only Dean but himself with such a comment.

"It's official, innocent, soft spoken Castiel talking dirty is my new favorite thing," Dean chuckled, his voice husky and low.

"I mean it, Dean, quit messing around," Castiel demanded.

"Well, I would…but I never back down from a challenge and you haven't started begging yet," Dean growled, grabbing Castiel's arms and pinning them above his head.

"You can't be serious?" Castiel protested when Dean stopped moving his leg.

"You wanna cum, baby?" Dean asked, smirking as Castiel struggled to move.

"Yes, Dean please," Castiel mewled, desperately needing Dean's touch. By that point he was so hard it was becoming painful.

"Then you know what to do," Dean said, leaning down to suck at large purple bruise he had made on Castiel's neck the day earlier, careful not to make any contact with the lower half of his body.

"Fuck, Dean please, I need you," Castiel implored, writhing beneath him.

"What do you need me to do?" Dean asked before tracing the bite mark with his tongue.

Pushing him passed his breaking point, Castiel was about to give in, ready to say anything Dean wanted to hear when his phone began to vibrate once more.

"You've got to be fucking kidding me," Dean said, shoving his hand in Castiel's pocket to grab his cell.

He was just about to push talk, in the mindset of telling Pamela off, when he noticed that the caller ID read Momma, making him let out a long, exasperated sigh. Shaking his head, Dean decided to give Castiel the phone, even though his first thought was to crush the device with his foot.

"It's your mother," Dean groused, "and this is the second time she's interrupted the master at work."

"HA, the master? Seriously, Winchester? How do you even walk through doors with that inflated ego of yours?" Castiel goaded, taking the phone out of Dean's hand.

"Oh, I'm sorry, am I not the reason your dick is hard enough to cut glass right now?" Dean shot back, grabbing Castiel's erection through his pants, making him shudder.

"I swear to God, I will roundhouse kick you if you don't let go of me," Castiel threatened breathlessly, although it didn't sound very convincing.

"Dean please, I need you," Dean teased, mimicking Castiel as he palmed at his dick.

Despite the relief Dean's touch was providing, Castiel forced himself to shove Dean away, if not for anything but the principle of the matter.

"Have it your way, baby," Dean laughed, allowing himself to be pushed backward a couple of steps.

Blushing, Castiel chose not to respond, hitting the talk button before he missed his mother's call.

"Hello?" Castiel answered, beyond frustrated, both sexually and in general.

"Good morning, honey," Mrs. Novak replied cheerfully, oblivious to how agitated her son was.

"Morning," Castiel said, forcing himself to seem happy.

"You took an awfully long time to pick up, am I interrupting something?" Mrs. Novak asked, making Castiel's face drain of color.

"What? No, nothing. Nope," He stammered, sounding like a complete idiot as Dean raised an eyebrow.

"Okay…," Mrs. Novak replied, obviously suspicious of her son's shady answer. "Well, I was just wondering if you were going to be home soon? Pamela is here and she's been waiting for you for about fifteen minutes," She continued, most likely planning to question him about how guilty he sounded later.

"I'll be right there," Castiel sighed, mentally cursing his best friend.

"Okay, see you soon," Mrs. Novak said.

"Yes ma'am," Castiel agreed before hanging up, holding back the strong urge to throw his phone across the room.

"You've got to be fucking kidding me," Dean repeated, remaining a few steps away from Castiel.

"To be continued?" Castiel asked, looking up at Dean hopefully.

"You are legitimately the first person ever to shut me down like this," Dean replied disbelievingly.

"Are you offended or impressed?" Castiel wondered, picking up his clothes from the floor.

"Mmm, I'd say 20% offended, 80% impressed," Dean admitted, smirking at him.

"I'll take it," Castiel said, giving him a quick kiss on the lips.

"Tell Pamela I said happy birthday and thanks for the case of blue balls," Dean grumbled, stepping to the side so Castiel could walk passed him.

"Will do," He promised, laughing as he unlocked Dean's door.

"Oh, and Castiel, one more thing," Dean said, making Castiel look over his shoulder.

"Yeah?" He asked.

"This isn't over," Dean confirmed, speaking those infamous words that sent a jolt of excitement through Castiel's body.

"So you keep saying, Winchester," Castiel retorted, delivering his standard reply.

He then headed out the door, moving stealthy down the stairs, relieved to see Sam still passed out on the couch when he reached the living room.

Tiptoeing across the hardwood floor, Castiel made it to the front door without a sound, careful to shut it quietly behind him.

Once outside, he was forced to walk slowly back to his house, not wanting to have to explain why he had a boner.  
>As he made his passed the impala, Castiel noticed that his father's truck was not in their driveway. He hated to admit it but he was actually sort of happy to know he wouldn't have to deal with his dad right away.<p>

After about a minute of awkwardly standing around in his front yard, Castiel was finally able to go inside, opening his front door to see Gabriel watching TV on the couch.

"Dude, took you long enough," Gabriel said, looking over his shoulder when he heard Castiel shut the door.

"Sorry," Castiel replied lamely, walking up behind the couch.

"Whoa, what a minute little brother," Gabriel told him, examining Castiel closely.

"What?" Castiel asked defensively, feeling extremely self-conscious.

"I don't remember that bite mark having a hickie in the middle of it yesterday," Gabriel said accusingly.

"I don't know what you're talking about," Castiel lied, covering the left side of his neck with his hand.

"You sleazy slut," Gabriel teased, "you totally went to avoid your daddy issues by getting hot and heavy with your mysterious new lover boy last night before you crashed at the Winchesters' house, didn't you?"

"Where is everybody?" Castiel asked, refusing to acknowledge his big brother question.

"Dear, sweet baby brother, you can only hide your steamy love affair for so long. I'm going to find out who he is, trust me," Gabriel warned, making Castiel roll his eyes.

"Dad's truck isn't here," He replied, not letting Gabriel see how nervous he really was.

"Yeah, he took Anna to get chocolate chip pancakes," Gabriel informed him, giving up on trying to get the details of his brother secret romance for the time being.

"Hold the phone, there were chocolate chip pancakes involved and you didn't go with them?" Castiel questioned, knowing his brother had quite the sweet tooth.

"I know, I'm close to blasphemy," Gabriel said disappointedly.

"Why didn't you go?" Castiel asked, slightly concerned.

"Truthfully? I'm just really not in the mood to sit down and have a meal with the asshole that calls himself our father," Gabriel admitted.  
>"Gabe, I know he's a jerk sometimes but you should try to forgive him. It's just the way he was raised," Castiel said.<p>

Castiel might have been upset with his father and would probably never understand why he believed what he did, but at the end of the day they were blood and Castiel knew deep down that his father loved him.

"That is such a load of shit, Castiel. It was the way mom was raised too but she'd never treat her son the way dad treated you last night," Gabriel argued, getting riled up.

"Just try not to fight with him in front of Anna. You know how upset it makes her," Castiel said, reaching over to put his hand on his big brother's shoulder. "And thanks for having my back, I'm lucky to have a brother like you," He added, smiling.

"Anytime, Cassie. You know I'll always take care of you," Gabriel told him, returning his smile.

"That's good to know, cause I'm going to need you to save me from Pamela's wrath," Castiel teased, releasing Gabriel so he could head up to his room.

"Did I say always? My bad, I just meant times not involving tough chicks who could kick my ass," Gabriel said, making Castiel laugh as he went upstairs.

When he reached his door, Castiel took a steadying breath before opening it to find Pamela sitting on his bed, her back against the headboard, reading the copy of Treasure Island he had sitting on his nightstand.

As soon as she heard him, Pamela's eyes darted up, focusing on Castiel as she noticed he was decked out in Dean Winchester's clothes.

"Please tell me you didn't become another notch on that man whore's bedpost," Pamela said, setting the book down.

"Do I look happy?" Castiel asked, walking over to stretch out across his bed, resting his head on his best friend's lap.

"Castiel Joseph, oh my God," Pamela scolded, smacking him on the forehead.

"We kissed and it was amazing," Castiel told her, smiling like an idiot.

"Yeah, well it looks like kissing isn't all you did," Pamela said, poking Castiel's hickie, "So he's actually bisexual? Un-fucking-believable," She added, shaking her head.

"Can you at least pretend to be happy for me?" Castiel questioned, his excitement deflated by his best friend's agitation.

"Honestly, I can't," Pamela told him, "because your happiness is contingent on making out with Dean Winchester who is an all-around douche bag, known for breaking hearts. And may I remind you, although I don't know how it could have slipped your mind, that he's also the guy who kicks your ass on a regular basis."

"He's different when it's just the two of us, Pammy," Castiel said defensively, looking up at her.

"Really? So he's not the one who gave you that black eye and the bruises all over your wrists?" Pamela asked, addressing Castiel's injuries for the first time.

"…It's not what you think," Castiel mumbled.

"When did this happen? Why did he hit you?" Pamela inquired, gently brushing her thumb along Castiel's bruised cheek.

"Saturday at work, it's not…" Castiel began, but Pamela cut him off.

"It's not what I think, yeah I got that," She said sarcastically.

"Listen, I know I sound insane but you have to trust me," Castiel pleaded.

"Jesus, Castiel. How can you even like him?" Pamela asked, visibly exasperated.

"You probably won't believe this but he's actually really sweet…and I can't explain it but he makes me happy…," Castiel told her earnestly.

Sighing, Pamela took a moment before responding to Castiel, contemplating what she was going to say next.

"Lord help me…," She sighed finally, breaking the silence.

"Does that mean I have your support?" Castiel asked tentatively.

"I'm probably going to regret this but yes," She confirmed begrudgingly.

"I love you, best friend," Castiel replied, sitting up to kiss her on the cheek.

"I love you too and that's the only reason I'm going along with this bullshit. But I can promise you one thing, if I see any more bruises on your body that he's responsible for, I'm going to castrate him," Pamela threatened.

Castiel, not in a hurry to tell his best friend that he had enjoyed receiving some of the bruises, nodded his head, trying not to blush.

"What made you decided to not fight this?" Castiel asked, changing the subject.

"Ugh, the fact that you are practically glowing," Pamela admitted, sounding thoroughly disgusted.

"You have no idea, Pammy. He's funny and smart and a fantastic kisser," Castiel gushed, earning a groan from his best friend.

"Okay, enough. I'm gonna to puke if you don't stop. Let's go to breakfast before I lose my appetite," She complained, getting up from the bed.

"Oh, this has to stay between you and me for now, okay?" Castiel asked, suddenly remembering Dean's fit of rage from earlier that morning.

"What does 'for now' entail?" Pamela questioned, narrowing her eyes as she watched him get up as well, walking over to his closet to grab a change of clothes.

"He hasn't talked about it but I'm sure he doesn't want anyone to know he's into guys as well as girls," Castiel explained, "He's dad would go ballistic if he found out."

"Yeah, well he needs to suck it up. Your dad wasn't thrilled when he found out about you but you put on your big boy pants and dealt with it," Pamela said, crossing her arms.

"I'm not going to rush him, Pamela. It's not that simple," Castiel replied, pulling off Dean's ACDC shirt to replace it with a blue long sleeve shirt of his own.

"I really hate this," Pamela confessed with a sigh as Castiel continued to change, putting on a pair of jeans.

"It's not ideal for me either, girl. But I want him, and if that means I have to deal with his bullshit, I'm willing to do that," Castiel admitted, laying Dean's clothes on the end of his bed.

"Dude, please stop cursing, I thought I'd enjoy it but I don't," Pamela whined, "and I cannot comprehend what you and all the girls at school see in that arrogant mouth-breather."

"Guess that's another thing you can add to the list of reasons why you can't stand Dean," Castiel laughed, "because trying to figure out what he's thinking or how he's feeling is enough to make anyone cuss like a sailor."

"Like I said, don't get it," She repeated.

"You also haven't kissed him," Castiel teased, joining her at the door.

"That's because Jesus loves me, bestie," Pamela taunted, locking her arm with his. "Now, can we please stop talking about your crush on that nasty bastard and go eat?"

"Anything for the birthday girl," Castiel said with a smile.

"That's more like it," She replied, leading Castiel out the door.

"Oh, by the way, Dean said happy birthday and he really appreciates the case of blue balls," Castiel added, making Pamela gag.

"Ick! I hope they fall off," She said.

"Trust me, I was in the same boat and I thought they actually might," Castiel complained.

"Oops," Pamela laughed, "I told your mom she didn't have to call you."

"You should have tackled the phone out of her hand," Castiel shot back.

"Damn, someone is thirsty," Pamela teased.

"I don't even want to talk about it," Castiel sighed, the two of them falling silent as they made their way down the stairs.


	12. One Step Forward and Two Steps Back

After having a great time with Pamela at breakfast, Castiel was pretty much on cloud nine. When he got home around eleven that day, he watched TV with Gabriel, relaxing for a bit before he helped his mom out around the house. And what made his day even better was that his father and he seemed to have entered a silent agreement to avoid each other. Castiel could have easily called that day one of the best days of his life or at least it was until about six that night when the Novaks sat down for dinner. As Castiel soon found out, it is hard to ignore your problems with someone when you are sitting across from them at a kitchen table. But the true tragedy of the situation was that the fight probably could have been prevented. Castiel had seriously thought about skipping dinner that evening and just grabbing something from the pantry but he knew it would have hurt his mother's feeling if he refused her cooking, especially since she made his favorite dish, chicken fried steak with mashed potatoes and fried okra. So against his better judgment, Castiel sat down to share a meal with his father and as he suspected it would, shit hit the fan.

"You know, son, the reason I sent you to all those karate lessons was so you could learn to defend yourself," Mr. Novak said about ten minutes after his family had begun eating, looking over at Castiel, examining his bruises.

"Can we please not do this tonight?" Gabriel groan, shooting his father a dirty look.

"I'm not trying to argue, Gabriel, I just want to know why your brother doesn't defend himself," Mr. Novak explained.

"What makes you think I didn't defend myself?" Castiel asked, setting his fork down.

"You look like hell, son. It's obvious you got your ass handed to you," Mr. Novak said in a matter of fact tone.

"Or do you just think I got my ass handed to me because you don't believe your gay son can hold his own in a fight?" Castiel shot back, making Mrs. Novak sigh as she reached over to put her hand on Anna's, who was looking extremely uncomfortable.

"Are you saying you won, then?" Mr. Novak asked, raising an eyebrow.

"You're unbelievable. You know, when most kids come home with black eyes their parents offer them ice packs and words of sympathy, they usually don't blame them for getting punched in the face," Castiel said, ignoring his father's question.

"Well if you," Mr. Novak began but Castiel finished his sentence for him.

"If I hadn't brought it on myself you wouldn't be acting like such a jerk right now, is that what you were going to say, dad?" Castiel fumed.

"Son, don't you dare sit there and tell me you don't run off at the mouth when someone says something about…you know, what you are," Mr. Novak retorted.

"You mean defend myself when another kid calls me a rude name? I'm sorry, I was under the impression that was a normal response," Castiel said sarcastically.

"Okay, that's it. Both of you stop. Can't you see Anna is upset?" Mrs. Novak interjected angrily.

Looking over at his little sister, Castiel noticed tears rolling down her cheeks.

"I'm sorry Anna," Castiel said, getting up to hug her.

"I don't like it when you and daddy fight," She cried, wrapping her arms around him.

"I know, sweetie, please forgive me?" Castiel asked, his father giving him a sour look but remaining quiet.

"I forgive you, Cassie," Anna said, releasing him.

Smiling at his little sister, Castiel wiped the tears away from her cheeks, booping her on the nose with his index finger so that she would laugh.

Then going back to his seat, Castiel finished the rest of his meal, both he and his father pretending that the other didn't exist.

It was unpleasant, but Castiel made it through dinner, and after he helped his mom and Gabriel clean up the kitchen, he headed out to the front porch for some air.

Once he was away from his family, Castiel couldn't help but cry. He had done his best to keep his emotions in check for Anna's sake but now that he was alone, his sadness hit him full force. Castiel just didn't understand why his father had to constantly bring up the fact that he was gay and equate it to all the problems in his life.

Needing to put some more distance between he and his troubles, Castiel found himself walking down the steps of his porch, not realizing where he was going until he was knocking on the Winchesters' front door.

It didn't take long for Sam to answer, looking beyond confused as he saw the tears in Castiel's eyes.

"Castiel? What's wrong?" Sam whispered, maneuvering the door so it blocked his view of the couch.

"I really need to talk to Dean," Castiel said, trying to keep his voice under control.

"Okay, just hold on one sec. My dad is in the living room watching football, so just stay here, I'll get him," Sam told him quietly.

Nodding his head, Castiel watched as Sam shut the door, giving him a sympathetic look before disappearing behind the maple wood.

Thankfully, Castiel didn't have to wait very long before Dean was stepping out onto the porch, zipping up the oversized black hoodie he was wearing, his grey sweatpants dragging the ground as they covered the tops of his bare feet.

His hair was a mess and it looked as though Sam might have woken him up.

"What's going on, Cas?" Dean questioned, catching sight of a tear rolling down the other boy's cheek.

"I'm sorry to bother you with my bullshit problems and you are probably just going to tell me to grow a pair…" Castiel muttered, looking down at his feet.

"Cas, you aren't bothering me, just tell me what's wrong," Dean said, taking a few steps forward so he could put his hand on Castiel's shoulder.

At that, Castiel threw caution to the wind, wrapping his arms around Dean and burying his face in his crook of his neck.

"My dad is an asshole," Castiel mumbled against Dean's skin as he felt him return the hug.

"Sounds like your dad and my dad need to get together and go bowling," Dean joked, rubbing circles against Castiel's back, soothing him.

Letting out a small laugh, Castiel hugged Dean tighter, the smell of his cologne filling his nose, offering him a strange feeling of comfort.

"Sorry I showed up so late and unannounced," Castiel said, after a couple of minutes in Dean's arms.

"Shit happens," Dean replied, letting go of Castiel, much to his displeasure.

"Were you sleeping? It's only eight, Winchester," Castiel teased, ruffling Dean's hair, making it even more disarrayed.

"Shut up, I passed out watching the game," Dean grumbled, grabbing Castiel by the hips to pull him closer.

"Aren't you worried someone will see us?" Castiel asked, putting his arms around Dean's neck.

"Please, everybody in this town practically bolts their windows and doors shut when the sun goes down," Dean laughed.

"So does that mean I can do this?" Castiel asked, leaning down to kiss Dean's neck.

"I suppose that's okay," Dean teased, tilting his head to give Castiel better access.

"What about this?" Castiel questioned, before biting down hard on the sensitive flesh.

"Motherfucker," Dean cursed under his breath, sliding his hands around Castiel's torso to grab his ass.

"I'm assuming that's a yes?" Castiel taunted, trailing kisses up to Dean's lips.

"You're a dirty son of a bitch, you know that right?" Dean asked playfully, smacking Castiel's right ass cheek as hard as he could with the palm of his hand.

Biting his bottom lip to muffle the moan that threatened to escape his mouth, Castiel grabbed a handful of Dean's hair, resting his forehead against the other boy's.

Closing his eyes, Castiel felt Dean's lips find his, kissing him more sweetly than the situation called for.

"What was that?" Castiel asked, pleasantly surprised.

"Dunno, just wanted to kiss you," Dean answered and Castiel could tell it was a lie.

"Thanks for not calling me a pussy and telling me to get off your porch," Castiel said, changing the subject so Dean didn't get spooked.

"I know I'm an asshole, Novak but damn," Dean chuckled, stepping back to look at Castiel's face.

"Like you wouldn't have said that a month ago," Castiel retorted.

"Yeah, well a month ago I had my head up my ass and didn't realize how bad I wanted you either, so stop making assumptions based on past me," Dean said, completely rocking Castiel's world.

"I'd say something but I'm too stunned to speak," Castiel replied, making Dean roll his eyes.

"Shut up, don't make it a big deal," Dean huffed, "Hey, you wanna go get something to eat?" He added, and Castiel was sure it was an attempt to distract him from Dean's confession.

"I just ate but I'd be happy to go with you to get something," Castiel said, reluctantly letting Dean change the subject.

"Cool, let me get my keys. I could seriously go for a burger," Dean told him before heading inside to grab the keys to the impala.

Castiel, internally debating whether or not he should text his mother, waited patiently on the porch, Dean reemerging from the house in less than no time. They both then walked over to the impala, which was parked in Dean's driveway, and got in.

"Dude, I'm going to eat like six burgers," Dean said as he backed out onto the street.

"That's disgusting," Castiel teased, once he had buckled his seatbelt.

He then grabbed his cell out of his pocket, deciding it would be best if he texted his mom some crap story about calling Pamela to pick him up so he could go to her house to hangout and blow off some steam.

In the long run, he knew it was better than disappearing off the porch without a word and giving his mother and siblings heart attacks.

"Man, whatever, I'm ravenous," Dean told him, turning up the radio when he heard Hot Blooded by Foreigner start to play.

Singing loudly, Dean smiled over at Castiel, who surprised him by joining in.

"You continue to impress me, Novak," Dean said, continuing to drive down the road.

Living in a small town, it didn't take them long to reach the nearest fast food restaurant, which happened to be Wendy's.

Staying halfway true to his statement, Dean ordered three burgers instead of six and a Dr. Pepper for Castiel.

He then found a spot in the parking lot, which was completely empty, and began to chow down.

"You're going to explode," Castiel told him, after Dean finished his second burger in the blink of an eye.

"At least I'll die happy," Dean shot back, opening the wrapper of the third burger.

Shaking his head, Castiel decided not to reply, taking a drink of his soda instead.

After a short moment of silence, he looked over at Dean once more, who was about five bites into his meal.

"Dean, can I ask you something?" Castiel inquired hesitantly.

"Sure thing, sweetheart," Dean replied with his mouth full.

"What exactly is going on between us?" He asked, before he lost his nerve.

"Huh?" Dean said, turning to face Castiel as he swallowed his food.

"Well, I know you don't do long term relationships and I'm sure you don't consider me your boyfriend…but we're at least exclusive, right? You're not seeing anyone else?" Castiel question, holding his breath as he waited for Dean's answer.

"Of course we're exclusive. I'm a one person kind of guy," Dean told him, sounding offended.

"I didn't mean to upset you, I just wanted to make sure," Castiel replied, slightly embarrassed.

"Wait, are you seeing anyone else?" Dean asked, forgetting about his burger as he eyed Castiel suspiciously.

"What? Absolutely not. You're the only guy I want, Dean," Castiel said truthfully.

"Good," Dean stated, "Cause I'd fucking kill the motherfucker if you were."

"You're barbaric and yet it's ridiculously hot," Castiel told him, receiving a cocky smile in return.

"I'm just sayin', that cute little ass is mine," Dean said, taking another bite of his burger.

"But I'm not your boyfriend?" Castiel asked, knowing he was pushing his luck.

"I don't really do the whole relationship thing, Cas, can't we just have fun together and leave it at that?" Dean questioned, visibly uncomfortable.

"If you think I'm going to say no, you obviously haven't been paying attention," Castiel said, admitting that Dean had him wrapped around his finger.

"I'd really like to kiss you right now. You think you can handle my burger breath?" Dean asked, smiling from ear to ear.

"I think I can manage," Castiel deadpanned, leaning over to press his lips against Dean's.


	13. Having Feelings Doesn't Make You Weak

The next day at school, Castiel was putting his history textbook in his locker before fourth period when Pamela approached him, disbelief written all over her face.

"I can only assume that you're responsible for the gnarly looking bite mark on Dean's neck?" She asked, careful to keep the level of her voice low so that no one else but Castiel could hear her.

"I plead the fifth," Castiel said, trying not to laugh as he shut his locker.

"Y'all are some freaky motherfuckers," Pamela replied, shaking her whole body as though the information were some sort of sticky goo that she needed to remove. "Did you seriously go back for round two yesterday when I dropped you off?" She added, although she didn't seem like she wanted to know the answer.

"Not exactly…I got into another fight with my dad and ended up going over to Dean's house last night to clear my head," Castiel explained.

"And then what, you just tripped and fell into his bed?" Pamela inquired, not bothering to hide her judgment.

"Why do you always assume that when I'm alone with Dean sex is a definite?" Castiel asked, giving his best friend a "what the hell?" look.

"Let's see, shall we? Probably because it's Dean Winchester, the boy known for taking advantage of nice, unsuspecting souls like yourself," Pamela said irritably.

"We didn't do anything drastic," Castiel confessed, "We just talked on his porch for a while…and things might have gotten mildly dirty…," He added, smiling innocently at his best friend.

"New rule, we don't talk about you being sexually involved with that douche nuzzle anymore because it's extremely hard for me not to convulse every time I think about it," Pamela replied.

Rolling his eyes, Castiel decided not to address Pamela's statement, changing the subject back to their original topic.

"I'm guessing the reason you're asking me about Dean's neck is because it was the talk of your third period class?" Castiel asked, aware that Pamela had science with Dean.

"Ding, ding, ding! We have a winner. It was disgusting, actually. All the guys were fawning over him like he was some rockstar and they were his groupies," Pamela explained, looking as if she were trying not to vomit.

"What did he tell them?" Castiel questioned, unable to contain his curiosity.

"A load of bullshit," Pamela replied.

"Which was?" He asked impatiently.

"He just said he met some girl from out of town who couldn't keep her hands off him and that when she got a little feisty he was sort of into it," Pamela said, rolling her eyes so hard Castiel thought they might pop out of her skull.

"What an asshole," He sighed.

"That's what I've been trying to tell you," Pamela told him, crossing her arms.

"I mean, he wasn't just sort of into it. He was like crazy into it. How insulting," Castiel continued, laughing when Pamela realized he wasn't actually upset with Dean.

"I can't with you right now," She huffed, throwing up her hands in defeat.

"Come on, I'll walk you to fourth period," Castiel said, holding out his hand for her to take.

Reluctantly, Pamela grabbed it, knocking her shoulder against his playfully as they started off down the hall.

Unfortunately, when she did so, Castiel accidently bumped into a person coming from the opposite direction.

"I'm sorry," Castiel said, turning to the person he had hit, holding back a groan of dismay when he realized it was Michael, co-captain of football team and his second worst tormentor.

"You will be when I get through with you," Michael threatened, grabbing Castiel by the collar.

"It was an accident, jackass, let him go," Pamela demanded, trying to push herself between the two of them.

"Get lost, bitch," Michael said, pushing Pamela aside like he was swatting a fly before balling up his fist and attempting to hit Castiel in the face.

Dodging the blow, Castiel broke Michael's hold on his shirt but wasn't quick enough to side step his second punch which landed square in the middle of his stomach.

Doubling over in pain, Castiel struggled to catch his breath, Michael's hit knocking the wind out of him.

"If you ever put your hands on her again, I'll break your neck," Castiel gasped, trying to stand up straight to face his attacker.

"Is that a fact?" Michael taunted, bringing his fist back to punch Castiel again when Dean suddenly appeared, stepping between them.

"Whoa, Mike, what the hell?" Dean asked, holding up his hands for Michael to stop.

"This fag ran into me, I'm teaching him a lesson Cap," Michael explained, lowering his fist.

"In the middle of the fucking hallway?" Dean scolded, "What if a teacher saw you? Are you trying to get kicked off the team?"

"I didn't think about that, sorry man," Michael said, apologizing as if Dean were a disappointed parent who he had just brought a report card full of D's home to.

"Don't let it happen again," Dean told him, "Now get to class."

And just like that, without another word, Michael walked away.

"It's like you're the leader of a cult that only lets in really buff mindless assholes," Pamela scoffed at Dean as she walked over to make sure Castiel was okay.

"How's your stomach, Novak?" Dean asked, the hall nearly empty because the bell had rung two minutes prior.

"Swell," Castiel replied sarcastically, looking up at Dean.

"You're lucky he didn't smash your face in," Dean said, taking a few steps forward.

"What? You don't think he'd look good with a matching bruise on his left eye? Or are you worried it would take the attention away from your handy work?" Pamela questioned addressing Dean, her tone full of malice.

"I'm sorry, did you say something?" Dean asked, pretending that he didn't hear Pamela's hateful rant.

"Don't you mean he's lucky?" Castiel interjected before Pamela could go off on him. "If Michael had messed up this handsome mug you would have been all over him like white on rice, right?" He teased, making Dean laugh.

"He'd have to do some pretty serious damage to ruin that pretty face of yours," Dean replied, reaching out to lightly brush his thumb over the bruise that was healing on Castiel's right cheek from his black eye.

"What in the ever loving fuck is wrong with you, Castiel?" Pamela chimed in suddenly, causing both boys to look over at her.

"He stopped Michael from trying to kick my ass," Castiel said defensively.

"That might be so, but am I the only one that heard him tell the big loaf that he just couldn't try to beat the hell out of you in public but in a private setting it was a-ok?" She raged.

"Damn Pamela, don't I get points for effort? You're the first girl I've met that I've had to work so hard to please," Dean taunted as the final bell rang, signifying that they were all late for class.

"Get used to it, Winchester, because you have a snow ball's chance in hell of ever bringing me any sort of pleasure," Pamela shot back, scowling when Dean smirked at her.

"Will you two knock it off? We have to go to sweeps," Castiel whined, utterly distraught.

He had never been late to a class in his life before that day and he dreaded having to go to sweeps to explain why he had missed the bell.

"Great, now I have to spend the next hour looking at your obnoxious face," Pamela grumbled, pushing passed Dean as she led the way to the cafeteria where sweeps were held.

"It's nice to know your best friend likes me," Dean said sarcastically, walking so close to Castiel that their arms were touching.

"She'll come around, hopefully," Castiel laughed, smiling over at him.

"Either way, I wouldn't mind having really hot, angry sex with her," Dean joked, moving out of the way just in time to miss Castiel's fist before it connected with his shoulder.

"You're repulsive sometimes," Castiel grumbled, thankful that Pamela didn't hear Dean.

"Don't be like that baby, you could totally join us," Dean teased.

"If you don't stop talking I am seriously going to throw up," Castiel forewarned him.

"Come on, Cas, it'd be like the hottest threesome ever," Dean argued as they reached the cafeteria.

"Why are you talking about threesomes?" Pamela asked, stopping at the doors the led to their destination to look back at the boys.

"You don't want to know, trust me," Castiel said, extremely annoyed.

"Hey, you know I'm just playing around, right?" Dean asked, grabbing Castiel by the hips, "Like I said last night, I don't want to share you with anybody. Not even the angry hot chick," He added, jerking his head toward Pamela.

"Excuse you?" She questioned incredulously.

Choosing to ignore her, Dean kept his eyes on Castiel, waiting for his reply.

"I know," Castiel mumbled, laying his hands flat on Dean's chest.

"Besides, if I had to chose who I wanted in bed more, you'd win by a long shot, sweetheart," Dean told him, making Castiel blush.

"One of these days you aren't going to be able to sweet talk your way out of putting your foot in your mouth," Castiel warned him, knowing it was a lie.

"Sorry baby, I forgot you were the jealous type," Dean teased, before leaning forward to give him a steamy, open mouth kiss.

"Holy shit," Pamela gasped, but Castiel barely heard her as he kissed Dean back.

"What's gotten into you lately?" He asked breathlessly, when Dean finally pulled away.

"The risk of getting caught kind of turns me on," Dean admitted, chuckling. "But I take it from the look on your face that you don't feel the same way?" He added, noticing he had caused Castiel distress.

"No, I don't feel the same way," Castiel told him. "The risk of getting caught terrifies me because I know you'd deny everything and leave me if anyone ever suspected something was going on between us," He confessed, sliding his hands upward to rest them on the tops of Dean's shoulders.

"Cas, don't say shit like that. We aren't going to get caught so it doesn't matter," Dean said, acting as though his opinion was all that mattered.

Sighing, Castiel nodded his head, not in the mood to argue.

"There are so many things I want to say right now…but all I can focus on is the fact that Dean fucking Winchester just kissed a guy in front of me and I'm fucking speechless," Pamela announced suddenly, making her presence known.

"I thought she knew about us?" Dean said nervously, looking from Pamela to Castiel.

"She does," Castiel replied, confused by his best friend's statement.

"It's not that I didn't believe you, Castiel…It's just trying to believe Dean Winchester was bisexual without proof was like trying to convince myself unicorns were real," She explained.

"Wait…Are you trying to tell me unicorns aren't real?" Dean asked, his tone so serious that if Castiel hadn't been so well acquainted with his sarcastic nature, he wouldn't have been able to tell that Dean was joking.

"Deep throat sandpaper, fuckface," Pamela replied.

"I'm sure your deep throating skills are far better than mine, Pam. Why don't you?" Dean shot back.

"Will the both of you at least pretend to get along, for my sake?" Castiel groaned.

"Of course, baby, sorry," Dean said, making Pamela roll her eyes.

"Kiss ass," She mumbled, earning a dirty look from her best friend. "Anything for you, bestie," She added, smiling sweetly when Dean pretended to gag.

"Okay seriously guys, although this little group meeting has been interesting to say the least, we need to get to sweeps before we get into even more trouble," Castiel sighed, releasing Dean.

Agreeing silently with a nod of her head, Pamela wasted little time entering the cafeteria, the two boys following closely behind her.

Quickly, they then told the teacher on duty, Mr. Roby, their names and their student IDs so that he could contact their parents.

Once they were done with that, Pamela and Castiel took a seat at the table two rows away from where Mr. Roby had set up his things. Following suit, Dean then plopped down on the other side of Castiel, as far away from Pamela as he could manage without sitting at a different table.

Looking around, Castiel noticed there were two other students in the cafeteria in addition to them. Both were sitting at the table in the first row, doing homework, oblivious to Dean, Pamela and his presence.

Sighing, he fidgeted nervously in his seat as he heard Mr. Roby, who started calling parents as soon as the three of them had sat down, talking to the mother or father, Castiel wasn't quite sure which one, of one of the students in front of him.

"My dad is going to kill me," Castiel whispered to Pamela, who gave him a sympathetic look.

"This beats a broken nose in the long run, don't you think Cas?" Dean questioned, placing his hand on Castiel's thigh under the table.

"Good point," Castiel laughed, running his fingers up the inside of Dean's forearm.

"If you two don't cease and desist ASAP, I'm going to grab the nearest object and gouge my eyes out with it," Pamela threatened, turning away when she saw Dean's hand move upward.

"Jealous," Dean teased.

Castiel, who had stop Dean from continuing any further action, was just about to apologize to his best friend when Mr. Roby hung up his phone and stood.

"Ms. Barnes, Mr. Winchester, Mr. Novak, I told the three of you that y'all were to remain silent during this time. Sweeps is a punishment not a social hour," Mr. Roby reprimanded.

Most teachers stuck on sweeps were pissed that they had to watch a bunch of tardy kids rather than do something productive with their lives so they often took out their frustration and boredom on the students who showed up there and today was no different.

"Sorry sir," Dean said, smiling like he was up to something, "I wouldn't have been talking at all but you see, Ms. Barnes won't stop asking me for my phone number and she's getting kind of stalker-ish. Even Mr. Novak felt compelled to tell her to calm down and that's why he broke your rule as well," He added, causing Castiel's jaw to drop.

"You lying bastard!" Pamela yelled suddenly, giving Dean just the reaction he had hoped for.

"Enough, both of you!" Mr. Roby shouted, causing Pamela to fall silent.

However, Dean was unable to control his laughter, only trying to stop himself when Castiel elbowed him forcefully in the chest.

"You're a lost cause, Winchester," Castiel mumbled, shaking his head.

"I know for a fact you don't believe that, Novak," Dean whispered back, smirking.

"I'm giving all three of you Saturday school," Mr. Roby announced, pulling Castiel and Dean's attention away from each other.

"You just wait, you piece of shit," Pamela warned, staring a hole in Dean as Mr. Roby started to fill out their detention forms.

Blowing her a kiss, Dean didn't seem the least bit concern about any element of the situation.

"Thanks to you I'm on probation at work, sitting in sweeps for the first time and now I have Saturday school which I've avoided for the last three years," Castiel said disbelieving, joining Pamela in staring at Dean.

"But you can't say I don't make your life interesting," Dean pointed out.

Chuckling, Castiel had to hold Pamela back from trying to strangle Dean for making such a, as she put it, arrogant, self-centered, idiotic comment.

"No talking from this point on," Mr. Roby said suddenly, forcing Pamela to get herself under control.

Taking a deep, calming breath, she then opened her backpack, retrieving her copy of The Hobbit.

"Nerd," Dean whispered, earning another elbow to the chest from Castiel.

Rubbing the spot where Castiel's elbow had landed for the second time, Dean fought back laughter as he watched him follow Pamela's lead, taking out his book from his backpack as well.

When Castiel opened the paperback to the spot he had marked, it didn't take Dean long to recognize that he was reading the same book which had prompted Dean to come on to him behind the bleachers.

Smirking, Dean then slipped his hand under the table once more, this time taking precautions so that he didn't draw Pamela's attention. Once his hand was on Castiel's left thigh again he slowly massaged his way upward, causing Castiel's whole body to stiffen.

Shooting him a warning look, Castiel knocked his knee against Dean's leg in attempt to silently tell him to stop.

Sadly for Castiel, Dean refused to take the hint, squeezing his thigh tightly so that his nails dug into the fabric of Castiel's jeans, causing him to let out a small moan.

Blushing furiously when Pamela shot him a sideways look, Castiel quickly put his book down, rummaging through his backpack for a pen and paper.

Retrieving the items as hastily as possible, he then wasted little time writing Dean a note, handing it to him forcefully.

Taking the piece of paper, Dean read it, barely muffling a snort when he saw the words DON'T YOU DARE MAKE ME POP A BONER AT SCHOOL written sloppily on the lined page.

Needing a few minutes to calm down, Dean eventually handed the paper back to Castiel before begrudgingly removing his hand.

"You're so whipped," Pamela mouthed over at Dean, witnessing the whole exchange.

Flipping her off, Dean then slumped forward, laying his head on the table.

Unable to resist his cute pouty face, Castiel instantly let go of his anger, reaching out to run his fingers through his hair, Dean arching into his touch.

"Oh come on, don't go being cute," Pamela whispered in agitation, raising her book to block her view of Castiel or Dean.

From that point on, there were not more issues. Pamela and Castiel read silently for the rest of the hour, Dean falling asleep even though students, according to the rule of sweeps, weren't allowed to.

Despite being in trouble, Castiel couldn't deny that he enjoyed being able to read quietly in the company of his best friend and the boy he liked much more than having to go to class.

If anything, sweeps had given him an excuse to finally make some progress in his book, reaching the last chapter when the bell rang for lunch.

As the two students in front of him immediately got up from their seats, practically running out the door, Castiel sat his book down, turning his attention to the sleeping boy next to him.

"Dean, wake up," He said gently, scratching Dean's back between his shoulder blades.

"Shit, is it over already?" Dean asked groggily, sitting up.

"What do you mean already? That was the longest hour of my life," Pamela complained, stretching her arms over her head.

"Shoulda tried to get some shut eye," Dean retorted, standing up as a large group of students entered the cafeteria.

"Whatever, asshole," Pamela shot back.

"I'll catch you later, baby," Dean said, ignoring Pamela as he looked down at Castiel, giving him a wink before he walked away.

"I feel like a need to dip myself in lye after every verbal exchange I have with him," Pamela complained as Castiel watched Dean leave, his heart fluttering in his chest.

"I'm head over heels for him, Pammy, what the hell is wrong with me?" Castiel asked, resting his forehead against his best friend's shoulder.

"I don't know, Cassie, but I'm ready to get you some professional help," Pamela teased, leaning over to put her cheek on the top of his head.

"Oh shut up," Castiel retorted, tickling her side causing her to jump.

"In all seriousness though, you can't let him just ignore your feelings like he did earlier," Pamela told him.

"What do you mean?" He asked, not following.

"The fact that you don't know makes it ten times worse…," She sighed, "I'm talking about when you told him you were worried that he'd drop you like a sack of potatoes if things got complicated and he just pulled his I don't want to talk about so we aren't going to bullshit and you let him."

"I was just being dramatic," Castiel stated, dismissing Pamela's concern.

"No, you weren't, Castiel," She told him, attempting to argue.

"Hey, let's eat, I'm starving," He said, blatantly avoiding the situation by getting up to grab a lunch tray.

**XXXX**

"Castiel Joseph, can you please explain to me why you were sent to sweeps and got Saturday school for being disrupted while you were there?" Mrs. Novak asked, her voice dangerously calm.

She had called Castiel about ten minutes after he had gotten home from school, having all day to let her anger fester from the call she had received from Mr. Roby that morning.

"Michael Cohen picked a fight with me before fourth period and I just wasn't able to make it to class before the bell," Castiel told her, laying on his bed, resisting the urge to smother himself with a pillow.

"Mr. Roby said you were causing trouble with Dean Winchester? You know your father and I don't want you hanging around with that boy. He's nothing but bad news," Mrs. Novak scolded and Castiel had to fight not to defend Dean.

"He's actually the one that stopped Michael from rearranging my face," Castiel explained.

"If that is truly the case I am extremely grateful but one right doesn't make up for several years of wrongs, honey. That boy is responsible for most of the fights you've been in," She said.

"I know, momma but I honestly think he's changed. He hasn't picked a fight with me in forever and you have to admit him stopping Michael is completely out of the ordinary," Castiel pointed out.

"Since when are you coming to Dean Winchester's defense?" Mrs. Novak asked suddenly, completely bewildered.

"I'm just saying maybe he's not as terrible of a person as his reputation makes him out to be," Castiel replied nonchalantly, praying he wasn't as transparent as he felt.

"Oh honey, you are such a sweet boy but I'm afraid Dean Winchester isn't misunderstood," Mrs. Novak said sadly.

"I still think it's worth giving him a chance," He told her.

"You're a good person, my son. If that's your decision you should stick with it, I just hope you don't end up disappointed," Mrs. Novak sighed.

"Thanks momma," Castiel said, knowing how difficult allowing him to put his feeling on the line must be for her.

"You're welcome, sweetie, but just so you know? You're grounded for a week with no TV," She told him, making him groan.

"Yes ma'am," He agreed, before telling her goodbye.

Sighing, Castiel then went to grab his backpack so he could start his homework, wishing with all of his might that he were at Dean's house instead hanging out and watch TV like he had done Saturday night. Snuggling up to Dean on his couch, wrapped in his arms was seriously the best thing Castiel could think of at the moment.

But instead he was stuck at home, reduced to only being able to interact with Dean at school for the next week.

Awesome.


	14. The Definition of Dysfunctional

Although though Castiel had been grounded for the remainder of the week, he stayed positive, having school to look forward. There, he would be able see Dean, even if their interactions were short. However, by the time Tuesday rolled around, that theory was quickly squashed. All of Castiel's positive thinking was rendered obsolete when Dean showed up to school that day with a large bruise on the right side of his jaw and a terrible temper. Furthermore, much to Castiel's dismay, Dean proceeded to give him the cold shoulder every time they saw each other. Needless to say, when it was finally time for sixth period, Castiel was beside himself with worry and tried to ask Dean where the bruise had come from but Dean refused to acknowledge him.

And on Wednesday, it was the same thing. However, even though Dean continued to treat Castiel as if he were a leper, that didn't stop Castiel from trying to get his attention. It wasn't until Thursday, after two days of failing to get Dean to speak to him, that he finally decided to give up.

By Thursday after school, Castiel was a wreck, dwelling on the fact that Dean was ignoring him and terrified of the explanation behind the mysterious bruise on his jaw.

With his head full of troublesome thoughts, the bus ride home was torture and Castiel couldn't have been more thankful when he finally arrived at his destination.

Entering the front door, Castiel sighed, setting down his things before rubbing his eyes wearily. Taking a moment to settle himself, he then decided to go to the kitchen to get a snack, working on letting go of his anxiety for his own good. Castiel knew that if he kept thinking about Dean he would make himself sick, so he tried with all his might to push the depressing situation from his mind.

Once he was done eating, he went up to his room, changing into a pair of blue pajama pants, not bothering with a shirt, taking into consideration he wasn't allowed to go anywhere. Lying across his bed, Castiel then attempted to do his homework, unable to remove the thought of Dean from his mind no matter what he did.

The whole thing had him so distracted and worried that when someone rang the doorbell twice he barely heard it. It was only when the person hit the button for a third time that Castiel finally registered the sound.

Being the only one home, he quickly got up off his bed, hurrying downstairs to see who his visitor was.

Reaching the front door, he opened it to find none other than Dean Winchester standing on his front porch.

"You lost, Winchester?" Castiel asked, noticing that Dean had his backpack draped over his right shoulder.

This struck Castiel as odd considering they had been released from school thirty minutes prior to Dean's unexpected appearance at his house.

"You're hilarious, Novak," Dean deadpanned, pushing his way passed Castiel, not bothering to wait for an invitation inside.

"Sure, come on in," Castiel said sarcastically, shutting the front door before turning to face Dean.

"Please tell me you understand our math homework?" Dean inquired, choosing not to acknowledge Castiel's last remark.

"Okay, I understand our math homework," Castiel told him, unable to stop himself from being a jerk.

"Well, could you stop PMSing and help me with it?" Dean asked, looking as though he'd rather take a swan dive off the nearest cliff than be standing in Castiel's living room.

"Whoa, hold up, let me get this straight," Castiel said, earning a dirty look from Dean, "you haven't talked to me since Monday, despite the fact that we parted ways on a good note, and now all of a sudden you want me to teach you calculus?"

"Dude, are you seriously keeping track of the times we talk? Ya freak," Dean teased, deliberately ignoring Castiel's question.

"Suck my dick, Dean. It's not hard to remember the last time we talked considering it's been two and a half days despite all my effort to the contrary and the fact that we have two classes together at school. One of which I sit right in front of you for," Castiel shot back, crossing his arms over his chest.

"Okay, okay, I'm sorry," Dean said, holding up his hands in defeat, "it's no secret, I'm a jackass, but I really need your help with the homework," He added, giving Castiel a "pretty please" look.

"Ugh, you better be glad I'm too much of a sucker to resist your douchey, arrogant ass," Castiel sighed, giving in without a fight.

If he was being truthful, Castiel was not about to pass up any opportunity to hangout with Dean. Despite the fact that Dean had him going out of his mind with worry and confusion, Castiel really missed his green eyed enigma.

"Don't feel bad, baby. It's a proven fact that no one can resist the Dean Winchester charm," Dean said smugly.

"Just shut up and follow me," Castiel told him, heading up the stairs.

When they reached Castiel's room, Dean took off his backpack, walking over to sit on his bed while Castiel shut the door.

Taking out his calculus textbook, a pencil and his notebook, Dean then turned to roll on his stomach, stretching out sideway across Castiel's mattress.

"Make yourself comfortable," Castiel teased, grabbing his notebook off his computer desk before lying on his stomach next to Dean.

"Don't mind if I do," Dean replied, opening his textbook to the page their assignment was on.

"Just to let you know, you have to be out of here before six. I'm grounded because of what happened on Monday and if my mother or father catches me with company, I'm a dead man," Castiel told him.

"Understood," Dean agreed, propping up on his elbows.

Then, without further ado, Dean turned his head to the side, waiting for Castiel to begin his lesson.

"Okay, let's start with the first problem," Castiel said, writing the equation down in his notebook before handing it to Dean, "Take me through how you would solve this step by step and we'll figure out how to help you from there."

"Here goes nothing," Dean muttered before doing as Castiel requested.

Half way through his explanation, Castiel was so confused by what Dean was trying to do that he had to stop him, fearful that his brain might explode if he didn't.

Trying a different approach, Castiel decided it would be better to solve a problem for Dean, taking him through it one step at a time in hopes something would click.

However, unfortunately for both Castiel and Dean, that didn't work either.

Then, for the next twenty five minutes, Castiel tried and failed multiple times to explain the homework to Dean in every way he could come up with.

Eventually, because the two of them were becoming extremely agitated with each other, Castiel took pity on him, completely the problems for Dean.

"You should have just done that in the first place," Dean teased when Castiel was finished with all the equations.

"Having me do your homework for you isn't going to help you pass a test on the material," Castiel sighed, setting Dean's pencil inside his notebook before closing it and putting it on the floor.

Dean's only response was a shrug of his shoulders as Castiel shifted to his right, propping himself up on his elbow.

"I know you can learn this, Dean," Castiel said, reaching out his left hand to run his fingers through Dean's hair, "you're just too quick to let yourself get frustrated and you shut down."

"What are you, my guidance consular?" Dean asked, raising his eyebrows.

It was a pleasant surprise to Castiel that Dean didn't tell him off on the spot for pointing out why he believed Dean wasn't picking up the material. Usually, when Castiel tried to bring up anything personal or having to do with emotions, Dean shut him down before he could even start.

"You can make fun all you want, but I know if you would have just sat down and really applied yourself, you could have done those problems without my help," Castiel told him, massaging the base of his skull with his fingertips.

"You don't have to bust out the motivational speech, Cas, I know I'm stupid," Dean laughed, leaning into Castiel's touch.

"You're not stupid, Dean, don't say that," Castiel demanded, looking Dean in the eyes.

"Oh come on, compared to you I'm practically an invalid," Dean said, continuing to treat the conversation as a joke.

"Dean, stop belittling yourself and acting like it's a punchline," Castiel told him, making it clear he wasn't kidding.

"It's the truth," Dean said, his temper flaring up as he suddenly pushed Castiel's hand away, flipping onto his back.

"No, it's not," Castiel disagreed, truly upset that Dean honestly felt that way about himself.

"Please, you just explained that shit like it was the easiest thing you've ever done and I'm sitting over here like your trying to teach me to read hieroglyphics without the Rosetta Stone," Dean huffed, putting his left arm over his eyes.

"Just an FYI, most people who are actually stupid don't know anything about hieroglyphics or the Rosetta Stone," Castiel teased, rolling over to lie on Dean's chest.

"You are the most sarcastic bastard I've ever met," Dean retorted, taking his arm away from his face to look at Castiel.

"You're so into it, don't even lie," Castiel replied, flashing Dean a million dollar smile.

In response, Dean lifted his head up slightly to kiss him.

"You caught me," Dean chuckled, brushing his thumb lightly across Castiel's cheek, "I'm really into it."

Feeling a sudden rush of bravery come over him upon hearing Dean's confession, Castiel then sat up, positioning himself on top of the other boy, straddling his hips.

"What cha doin', Novak?" Dean asked mischievously when Castiel took him by both hands, interlocking their fingers as he lifted Dean's arms above his head.

Leaning over, Castiel placed a chased kiss on Dean's lips, smiling slyly.

"I'm taking a page out of your book, Winchester," He replied, working his way down to Dean's neck.

"Mmm, I see," Dean said, letting out a moan as Castiel sucked at the sensitive skin right below his ear. "Well, there's just one problem with that…," He added, making Castiel stop what he was doing to look at him.

"What's that?" Castiel asked, afraid he had done something wrong.

"I have dominance issues," Dean teased, quickly flipping Castiel onto his back so that they were laying the correct way in his bed. "And you look so much better underneath me," He continued, smirking down at Castiel.

"Control freak," Castiel scolded, pretending to be annoyed.

"True," Dean agreed, bending down to kiss the left side of Castiel's neck, "but if my memory serves me correctly, you are the one that gets all hot and bothered thinking about being controlled," He added, before biting down on the already bruised skin.

"Holy fuck," Castiel moaned, digging his finger nails into Dean's back as a toe curling mixture of pleasure and pain shot through his entire body.

"I'm just getting started, baby," Dean chuckled, running his hands up Castiel's bare chest.

"You're just going to string me along again, aren't you?" Castiel whined, wanting Dean to cut to the chase.

"So pushy," Dean taunted before pressing his lips against Castiel's.

Bucking his hips impatiently, Castiel kissed back, opening his mouth so that Dean could slip his tongue in.

Absentmindedly, he then reached up to cup Dean's cheek in his hand, accidently brushing against the nasty looking bruise on the right side of his jaw.

Flinching, Dean pulled back from the kiss, looking down at Castiel who began to apologize profusely.

"I'm sorry, Dean," He told him, leaning up to kiss the bruise lightly.

"It's fine, baby, it was just an accident," Dean said, going in for another kiss.

"How'd it happen?" Castiel asked before their lips touched, making Dean groan in frustration.

"Don't worry about it," Dean told him, sitting up.

"Too late, I'm already worried about it and I have been since Tuesday," Castiel said heatedly.

"Are you seriously going to do this?" Dean questioned, letting out an annoyed sigh.

"Do what? Ask you about the huge bruise on your jaw because I'm concerned or bring up the fact that you've been avoiding me since Monday and now all of a sudden you're in my bed?" Castiel inquired, completely infuriated.

"Both," Dean replied simply.

"Why won't you just talk to me? Where did the bruise come from?" Castiel asked, unable to understand why Dean was shutting him out.

"Football practice," Dean stated dryly but Castiel knew he was lying.

"The team only practices Wednesday, Friday and Saturday. You had that bruise Tuesday morning," He retorted.

"Jesus Christ, Cas," Dean huffed, running his hand over his face.

"Was it John? Did he hit you again?" Castiel asked nervously, afraid Dean would resort to physical violence or storm out of the room at the mention of his father.

"What? What do you mean again? You don't know what you're talking about," Dean replied angrily.

Extremely surprised that Dean had remained still, Castiel took advantage of the situation, reaching up to put his hand on Dean's chest comfortingly.

"Dean, I know that John was responsible for that bruise you had on your cheek a while back…Did he do this too?" Castiel questioned, motioning to Dean's jaw.

For a moment, Dean was silent. Biting his bottom lip nervously, he looked down at Castiel, studying him as though he were unsure what to do.

"That jackass Mr. Roby told my dad I was causing trouble with you…" He said finally, after a long pause. "My dad was livid that I disobeyed him and we fought. He told me if I didn't stay away from you there would be consequences…That's why I've been avoiding you…I needed to let things cool down…I'm sorry, Cas," Dean added, his voice raw with emotion.

Castiel had never seen Dean look so vulnerable before and it broke his heart as he laid there looking up at him, completely stunned.

"It's okay, Dean, come here," Castiel managed to say, wrapping his arms around Dean, pulling him downward so that he was laying against his chest.

"I'm such a fucking sissy," Dean mumbled.

"That's not true, Dean," Castiel told him, hugging him tightly.

"Yes it is. I'm lying here whining at you like a little girl," He replied.

"You aren't whining. You're telling me the truth and expressing how you feel. Honestly, you don't know how grateful I am that you are," Castiel admitted.

"It was hell not being able to talk to you for the last couple of days," Dean divulged, sitting up to look him in the eyes. "I can't tell you how many times I wanted to have a conversation with you or how much I wanted to kiss these gorgeous lips," He added, running his fingertips over Castiel's mouth.

"I thought you were done with me," Castiel said sadly.

"I'm sorry, baby, I shouldn't have done what I did. I should have just told you what was going on," Dean confessed.

"Yeah, you should have. You made me feel like I meant nothing to you," Castiel replied bitterly.

"Well, you do, so don't think like that," Dean shot back in his typical "end of discussion because I said so" fashion.

"And if Dean Winchester says it, it must be true," Castiel retorted, shutting his eyes as Dean leaned down to kiss his neck.

"That's right, and trust me when I say I'm nowhere near being done with you," Dean said slyly, moving from Castiel's neck to his chest.

Nipping at the skin, he continued to sink lower, moving down Castiel's body until his lips were right above the waist line of his pajama pants.

"Dean," Castiel moaned, feeling Dean press a kiss to his left hip bone.

"That's it baby, I want to hear you this time," Dean said, encouraging Castiel to not hold back.

"Dean, please don't tease me," Castiel begged, reaching down to thread his fingers into Dean's short brown hair.

"I won't, sweetheart, not this go around" Dean agreed, tugging at Castiel's pants to pull them down.

With a little bit of effort, he had just reached Castiel's thighs with the material when a sudden noise startled him.

"No fucking way," Dean huffed, completely exasperated as he looked over at the table next to Castiel's bed, staring angrily at his phone which was ringing loudly.

"I'm so sorry," Castiel groaned, pulling up his pants after Dean had rolled over to lie next to him.

"I swear it's like every time I even think about touching your dick your phone's anit-orgasm software goes off," Dean grumbled as Castiel grabbed his cell.

"It's my baby sister, I have to answer," Castiel told him in an apologetic tone.

"It's fine, I'd do the same for Sammy," Dean sighed.

Smiling at Dean's adorable comment, Castiel pushed the talk button on his phone to find out why his sister was calling him.

"You better be missing a limb," He answered, huffing in frustration.

"Sorry to disappoint you brother but all my appendages are intact," Anna replied, extremely confessed.

"What's up?" Castiel asked impatiently.

"Dude, what crawled up your butt and died? Gabe just picked me up from dance class and he was wondering if you wanted Chinese food," Anna explained.

"I'll take some beef and broccoli, thanks darling sister," Castiel said, trying not to sound so annoyed.

"Beef and broccoli it is. We'll be home in about thirty minutes," She replied before hanging up.

Putting his phone back on the table, Castiel then turned to look at Dean who was eyeing suspiciously.

"If you don't make me cum in the next thirty minutes know that you will be leaving here responsible for manslaughter because I'm going to die of sexual frustration," Castiel told him, making Dean laugh.

"Don't worry, Cas. I promise, I'm not walking out that door until you're satisfied," Dean said, his voice thick with lust.

Not wasting any time, he then turned onto his left side to face Castiel before licking his right palm and slipping his hand into Castiel's pants, grabbing his dick.

"That was filthy," Castiel gasped, wrapping his arms around Dean's neck.

"You fucking loved it," Dean taunted as he began to stroke Castiel's dick, moving his hand at an agonizingly slow pace.

"I thought you said you weren't going to tease me this time?" Castiel asked, lifting his hips off the bed to meet each one of Dean's movements.

"Sorry," Dean chuckled, swiping his thumb over the head of Castiel's cock, smearing the leaking pre-cum.

"No you're not," Castiel shot back after the action caused him to let out a loud, needy moan.

"Guilty," Dean teased, stroking upward with his hand, driving Castiel crazy.

"Please stop messing around," Castiel pleaded and mercifully Dean complied, leaning forward to kiss him as he began to pump his fist faster.

Closing his eyes, Castiel continued to thrust his hips, every one of his nerve endings on fire as he felt a warm sensation pooling in the pit of his stomach.

"Hey, look at me," Dean said suddenly, putting their make out session on hold.

Looking up, Castiel did as he was told, forcing himself to open his eyes as Dean continued to touch him, bring him closer and closer to his release.

"When you cum, I want you to scream my name as loud as you can," Dean demanded, sending a chill down Castiel's spine.

Nodding, Castiel ran his finger nails down Dean's back, kissing him playfully.

"Tell me you understand, Castiel," Dean said, exuding dominance.

"I understand, Dean," Castiel whimpered, his body tingling with pleasure.

Dean's forceful demeanor was enough to send Castiel over the edge and with one more flick of his wrist, Castiel felt an orgasm rip through his body as he shouted Dean's name at the top of his lungs.

Smirking, Dean watched as Castiel arched his back, coming hard.

"Fuck," Castiel whispered, soaking up the overwhelming sensation.

Working him through his orgasm, Dean didn't remove his hand from Castiel's dick until he was boneless and panting underneath him.

"You good, baby?" Dean asked, getting his answer in the form of Castiel pulling him into a sloppy kiss.

"I'm fantastic," Castiel teased, making Dean smile.

"Guess that means my work here is done," Dean joked, rolling off the bed to collect his things.

"What about you?" Castiel asked, noticing Dean's erection which was visible through his jeans.

"I don't want you getting into trouble just because I wanted to get off," Dean told him, walking around the other side of the bed to give him a kiss. "I'm going to head home before your brother and sister catch us. And when I get there I'll be thinking about you the entire time I'm taking care of this," He added, looking down at his dick.

"You better," Castiel said playfully, getting up to stand in front of him, rubbing his palm down the front of Dean's jeans.

"Whoa, sweetheart, I think you're over estimating my will power," Dean told him, letting Castiel trail kisses down his chest, moaning loudly when he bit his right pectoral muscle.

"I don't want you to go," Castiel pouted, massaging his palm against Dean's dick again.

"And the last thing I want to do is leave, but I have to. I'll see you tomorrow, baby," Dean replied, bucking his hips against Castiel's palm.

"You better not go back to ignoring, Winchester," Castiel told him.

"I'm never making that mistake again," Dean promised before heading toward the door.

Smiling, Castiel watched him leave, Dean's words bringing him an unreasonable amount of joy.

He knew that they were a long way away from a normal, well-functioning relationship, but today was a start and Castiel was willing to take anything he could get.

Dean was starting to open up to him and it felt amazing. Now all he had to do was find out a way to handle John Winchester, continue to keep he and Dean's relationship a secret and convince Dean that feelings were not the enemy.

Piece of cake, right?


	15. You're in Way Over Your Head

"Novak?"

When he heard himself being addressed, Castiel looked up from his filing to see Bobby standing in front of his desk.

It was late Sunday afternoon, and although Castiel usually didn't work on that specific day he had come in to make up for the four hours he had missed of his shift on Saturday because of detention.

"Yes sir?" Castiel responded, his voice weak with fear.

He was still on probation and every time Bobby was around he couldn't help but stress.

"Relax boy. You ain't in trouble," Bobby reassured him, chuckling.

Nodding, Castiel breathed a sigh of relief.

"I noticed that you drove to work today?" Bobby continued, causing Castiel to tilt his head to the side in confusion.

"Yes sir, I did. My brother let me borrow his car," Castiel explained.

"Well listen, I've got a favor to ask. Do you think your brother would let you take his car up to Huntsville to get a custom made part I ordered for one of the older cars Dean is working on?" Bobby asked. "I'll pay for your gas, obviously. I'd go myself but it's my niece's birthday today and she's having a little party at my sister's house later tonight and she invited me," He added, putting his hands in his pockets.

"Of course, sir. Would you like me to head out now?" Castiel inquired.

He only had five minutes left of his shift, and he didn't think it would be unreasonable for Bobby to let him duck out a little bit early.

"Yeah, that'd be great. And take Dean with you, okay? He needs to make sure it's the right part," Bobby told him before disappearing back into his office.

Groaning, Castiel had half a mind to follow Bobby, wanting to argue about bringing Dean but he thought better of it.

Although he was not in a hurry to share a car with Dean, Castiel knew complaining wouldn't get him anywhere with his boss.

Under normal circumstances, Bobby suggesting that Castiel take Dean on an hour long trip up to Huntsville wouldn't have bothered him but things had been extremely awkward between the two of them since Thursday, and Castiel was not looking forward to being cooped up in a small space with the other boy.

Although Dean had stayed true to his word about not ignoring Castiel; he also hadn't made much of an effort to strike up a conversation with him either.

For the last two days, Dean had only spoken when Castiel addressed him first and he had made absolutely no mention of what had happened between them Thursday afternoon.

Letting out a frustrated huff, Castiel tried to push the aggravating thoughts aside, cleaning up his work station quickly before grabbing his stuff and heading to the garage.

Once he reached his destination, it didn't take him long to find Dean who was under the hood of a mustang, his arms covered in grease.

"Dean," Castiel called, causing him to look up from his work.

When Dean eyes focused on Castiel, a sickly sweet smile spread across the mechanic's face. Castiel silently cursed that smile which made him go weak at the knees despite Dean's hot and cold attitude toward him of late. He knew that if Dean kept up this ridiculous game that he was going to need so much therapy before the green eyed boy was done wreaking havoc on his life.

"Need something, sweetheart?" Dean cooed as he straightened up, grabbing a green rag that was laying on the toolbox next to him.

Rubbing the grease off his hands with the cloth, he then began to make his way over to Castiel.

As Dean approached him, Castiel couldn't help but notice the way his white short-sleeve shirt hugged his arm muscles. Studying him, he trailed his eyes down Dean's body, registering that he was wearing his patented tight fitting jeans with holes in the knees. And although Castiel hated to admit it, he looked damn good. Even covered in grease, on a scale of one to ten, Dean Winchester was an eleven.

It was no secret that Castiel could have probably stared at Dean for the rest of the night if it wasn't for him clearing his throat, snapping Castiel out of his daze. Realizing that he was gawking yet again, he quickly looked down at the floor, his cheeks dark with blush.

"Bobby wants you to come with me to pick up a custom part in Huntsville. He said you'd know if it was what he was looking for," Castiel mumbled, daring to peek up at the other boy through his lashes.

"Right now?" Dean asked, raising an eyebrow.

"That's what he said," Castiel confirmed.

At first, it seemed as though Dean was going to protest but after a few seconds decided against it. Letting out a small sigh, he nodded his approval, tossing the green rag he had in his hand to the side.

"Just give me a second to call Sammy and let him know I'll be late for dinner," Dean said, heading to the main office before Castiel could reply.

"Okay…," Castiel muttered under his breath, shifting awkwardly from foot to foot as he waited for Dean to come back.

Thankfully, Dean's conversation with his little brother was extremely quick and he was back in less than a minute flat.

"All right. Let's do this," Dean said, motioning for Castiel to lead the way.

"Are you comfortable leaving your car in the parking lot until we get back?" Castiel asked, once they were outside.

"Yeah, she'll be safe here," Dean said, but Castiel could hear the hesitation in his voice.

"She's an inanimate object, Dean. Sometimes I really don't think you understand that," Castiel laughed, walking over to his brother's Prius.

"Hey, watch your mouth. That's my baby you're talking about, " Dean warned as he followed Castiel, eyeing the grey vehicle he had just unlocked with contempt. "A fucking Prius? Really?" He added, groaning.

Rolling his eyes, Castiel ignored Dean's comment, getting in the driver's seat.

Begrudgingly, Dean then joined him. Taking the seat beside Castiel, he looked around the vehicle, thoroughly disgusted with his surroundings.

"Seatbelt," Castiel said, buckling his own before putting the keys in the ignition.

"You're killing me, Cas," Dean whined, reluctantly grabbing the strap behind him and latching the buckle into the lock.

"Stop crying," Castiel teased as he put the car in drive, pulling out of the parking lot.

Scowling at him, Dean remained silent, leaning forward to turn on the radio.

"I'm sorry you won't be able to eat dinner with your brother on time," Castiel said, after a couple of minutes of Dean flipping through the channels.

"Eh, it's all good. I just hate leaving the kid to find for himself. He's not much of a cook and I usually make him dinner when I get home from work," Dean informed Castiel, shrugging his shoulders.

"What about your dad? Can't he make Sam dinner?" Castiel asked timidly.

He knew the topic of John wasn't Dean's favorite conversation starter but Castiel's curiosity had gotten the better of him.

"No, he can't," Dean replied, his body tensing up as a frown appeared on his face.

"I shouldn't have asked…I- I'm sorry…" Castiel stuttered, frustrated at himself for messing up one of the few normal conversation that had transpired between he and Dean.

Dean, seeming to notice Castiel mentally kicking himself, shook his head, reaching over to put a comforting hand on his shoulder.

"It's okay, Cas," Dean said, his voice a little softer than before. "My dad works really late…and when he gets home he needs to time to relax. Besides, taking care of Sammy is my responsibility," He explained.

Hearing the conviction in Dean's voice about how he needed to take care of his younger brother was both adorable and saddening to Castiel. He wanted desperately to tell Dean that Sam was not his child and he really wasn't his responsibility but he held his tongue. Dean speaking to him in this fashion was rare and Castiel did not want to waste the opportunity by picking a fight. Besides, he knew that when it came to Sam, Dean was not going to even pretend to hear him out on the matter. So instead, he just gave Dean a quick nod to signify he understood.

After that, a silence fell between them as Dean went back to scanning the radio.

"Oh, here we go," Dean announced, finally coming across a song he deemed worthy.

"Bon Jovi? You're kidding, right?" Castiel asked, shooting Dean a sideways glance.

Instead of answering, Dean turned up the volume before beginning to serenade him.

"Your love is like bad medicine. Bad medicine is what I need, whoa shake it up just like bad medicine. There ain't no doctor that can cure my disease!" Dean sang at the top of his lungs.

Shaking his head, Castiel shot Dean another sideways glance, unable to stop himself from smiling. A month ago, if anybody would have told him that one day Dean Winchester would be sitting in the passenger's seat of his brother's Prius, jamming out to Bon Jovi with a shit eating grin on his face, Castiel would have thought they were insane. But here he was, and boy was it a sight to see.

Continuing to watch Dean make a fool of himself, something outrageous occurred to Castiel.

'Holy shit,' He thought to himself, 'I'm so in love with Dean Winchester.'

"Come on, Cas! I know you know the lyrics!" Dean said suddenly, distracting Castiel from his epiphany.

Unable to resist him, Castiel then joined in, singing Bon Jovi as loud as he could with no shame, all for the sake of pleasing the boy of his dreams.

**XXXX**

"Thank fuck we're here. I was going stir crazy," Dean complained as Castiel pulled into a parking space at Andy's Auto Parts.

"It only took us an hour to get here, Dean. You're such a child," Castiel teased, rolling his eyes when Dean flipped him off in response.

"Well maybe if you didn't drive like a grandma," Dean taunted.

"I do the speed limit, Dean. You're the one that thinks he's Mario Andretti," Castiel shot back.

"Do not!" Dean protested, "I prefer Dale Earnhardt Jr."

"You're hopeless." Castiel sighed, earning a cocky smile from Dean.

Holding back a smile of his own, Castiel then got out of the car, the other boy following his lead.

Walking side by side, they quickly made their way across the parking lot and through the entrance of the store.

"I'm going to look around for a bit. Call me when you get the part," Dean told Castiel before disappearing behind a row of tires.

Rolling his eyes, Castiel walked up to the front desk, smiling politely at the employee behind it.

"What can I do for you?" Asked the blonde haired boy who's name tag read James.

"I'm here to pick up a part for Robert Singer," Castiel informed him, causing the boy to smile at the mention of his boss' name.

"Ah, you must be Castiel. Bobby called and said you'd be picking up his order. I'm James," The boy said, holding out his hand.

"Nice to meet you," Castiel replied, taking James' hand in his own and shaking it.

James then smiled even wider at Castiel who bit his bottom lip shyly, looking down.

"Castiel, I hope I'm not overstepping any boundaries but those blue eyes of yours are breathtaking," James said, causing Castiel to blush furiously.

"Flattery, huh?" Castiel mumble, daring to look up at James who was still smiling at him.

"Definitely flattery. How am I doing?" James asked, winking at him.

"Not too shabby," Castiel joked, returning James' smile.

"Lucky me," James flirted. "Well, I'll just have Mark grab that part for you from the back," He added, motioning to a man that was sitting at a desk to the left of the counter.

Standing up, Mark grunted his compliance before heading through an employee's only door, leaving Castiel alone with James.

"How's your day been so far, Castiel?" James asked, leaning over the counter, a smirk tugging at the corner of his lips.

It was only then, when he got a closer look, that Castiel noticed how handsome James was.

"It's been eventful to say the least. And you?" Castiel inquired.

"Great. And it just got better," James said.

"Do you usually shamelessly flirt with all your customers, James?" Castiel questioned, finding his nerve.

"Only with the drop dead gorgeous ones," James confessed, causing Castiel to blush yet again.

Smirking at Castiel's reaction, James had just opened his mouth to say something else when their exchange was interrupted by Mark, who sat the part that Bobby had ordered on the counter in front of him with a displeased grunt.

"Is this what Bobby was looking for?" James asked Castiel, ignoring Mark completely.

"Honestly, I'm not sure. Bobby sent one of his mechanics with me to determine that. He's around here somewhere…," Castiel told him, turning to scan the store for any sign of Dean.

"Dean!" He called, hoping the green eyed boy was in earshot.

Then, as if he were waiting for his cue, Dean sauntered around one of the isles, taking his time as he made his way up to the front desk.

"You ready for me, sweetheart?" Dean asked, walking up to stand right next to Castiel, invading his personal space.

A mischievous smile spread across Dean's lips as the action caused Castiel to struggle to find his words.

"Is…is this the…right part?" Castiel stammered, feeling Dean's hand slide down his left ass cheek, giving it a small squeeze.

Chuckling under his breath, Dean leaned forward peering into the box Mark had placed on the counter.

While Dean was examining the part, Castiel bravely looked up at James who was eyeing Dean with what could only be interpreted as disgust.

"Looks good to me, Cas," Dean informed him, trailing his hand up Castiel's back to his neck.

Giving Castiel a wicked smile, Dean then lazily traced the fading bruise on his jugular with his thumb causing Castiel to visibly shudder.

"Do you need anything else?" Castiel heard James ask, making him snap back to reality.

"No, just this please," Castiel said timidly, embarrassment washing over him like a tidal wave.

He could tell James was annoyed and he knew he must have looked like such an idiot, reduced to mush just because Dean Winchester touched him.

"Well, Bobby paid for this over the phone so you are good to go," James informed him.

"Thank you," Castiel said, picking up the box and offering James a small smile.

"You are very welcome, Castiel. Don't be a stranger," James replied, winking at him.

"Adios, bitch," Dean interjected, throwing up a peace sign before turning toward the exit.

Refusing to look at James' reaction, Castiel nearly ran after Dean, desperate to get out of the store after witnessing Dean's farewell.

"What the hell was that?" Castiel hissed once they reached the car.

"I don't know what you're talking about," Dean said, getting into the passenger's seat.

Letting out a frustrated noise somewhere between a grunt and a sigh, Castiel put the box he had just picked up into the trunk before joining Dean in the car.

"You know exactly what I'm talking about," Castiel scolded, putting on his seatbelt.

He could tell Dean was agitated so he didn't even bother asking him to do the same. Instead, he put the car in drive, trying not to think of how stupid he must of looked to James.

"Why were you being so rude? James didn't do anything to you," Castiel asked when he reached a red light.

"You're right, he didn't do anything to me. But I'm sure I could think of a few things he wanted to do to you," Dean said, his tone dark.

"What?" Castiel questioned, taken aback, "Were you listening to our conversation?"

"Oh, don't make it sound like I was eavesdropping," Dean warned, shooting Castiel a dirty look, "I was just looking around, minding my own business when I happened to hear James laying it on thick."

"You're unbelievable, Dean. He was trying to be nice!" Castiel said, becoming annoyed.

"He was trying to get you naked," Dean retorted.

Just then, realization dawned on Castiel and his jaw nearly dropped.

"Were…you jealous?" Castiel asked hesitantly as the light turned green.

"What if I was?" Dean shot back, turning to look at Castiel's profile, "Does that turn you on?"

Castiel could feel the blush creepy across his cheeks at Dean's inappropriate question.

"That's your kink, remember Dean?" He answered boldly, earning a full on belly laugh from the boy in the passenger's seat.

"Touché." Dean agreed.

"…but I won't lie and say I don't think it's hot…you know…that you're jealous," Castiel confessed, making Dean's breath hitch.

"Told you it was the quiet ones, " Dean teased, regaining his composure almost as fast as he had lost it.

"Fuck off," Castiel retorted.

"Make me, bitch." Dean said, delivering his standard response.

"You better be careful…One day I just might, Winchester," Castiel threatened, his voice thick with lust.

Without missing a beat, Dean replied by leaning over, brushing his lips against Castiel's ear.

"I look forward to seeing you try," He whispered, his words going straight to Castiel's dick.

Then, he nipped at Castiel's jaw causing him to moan involuntarily.

"You see that dirt road up ahead?" Dean asked suddenly, thankfully bringing Castiel's attention back to driving.

"Yeah?" Castiel answered, slightly confused.

"Turn onto it and don't stop driving until I say so," Dean ordered.

"But Dean-," Castiel started to protest, but was cut off.

"Do as you're told, Castiel," Dean said, his tone low but powerful.

Against his better judgment, Castiel decided to comply, turning onto the dirt road as soon as he reached it. A mixture of fear and excitement pulsed through him as he pressed down on the accelerator, trying to ignore how hard he was just from Dean simply telling him what to do.

Shifting uncomfortably in his seat, Castiel hoped to take his mind off his dilemma by turning his attention to his surroundings. The dirt road was dark and secluded, trees stretching for miles on each side as he looked around, wondering where they were going. He wasn't worried about their location though, that sort of setting wasn't anything out of the ordinary. Most roads looked like that in Alabama, especially where Dean and Castiel grew up.

Remaining silent as he took in the view, Castiel continued to drive for another ten minutes before Dean finally told him to pull over.

Rolling to a stop, Castiel put the car in park, wasting little time looking over at Dean for further instruction.

It was then that he saw Dean leaning toward him, causing his heart to start pounding rapidly in his chest at the thought of what was to come. Unfortunately he soon found out, much to his dismay, that Dean's advance was only so he could reach over to turn the keys, shutting off the engine.

Thankfully, however, he wasn't disappointed for very long.

"Get in the back seat," Dean demanded, making Castiel's dick to pulse in anticipation.

Doing what had been asked of him, Castiel tried to take his time, not wanting Dean to know how desperately he wanted him.

Once in the backseat, Dean joined him a few seconds later, sliding in next to Castiel.

"Do you want me to kiss you?" Dean questioned, putting his hand on Castiel's chest before slowly dragging his fingers down to the waistband of his pants.

Immediately, Castiel shook his head yes with conviction, his thoughts of not wanting to seem desperate from a few seconds earlier long forgotten.

"Use your words, Castiel," Dean ordered, running his index finger along the length of Castiel's zipper.

"I want you to kiss me," Castiel nearly pleaded.

Those simply words seemed to be all Dean needed as he then leaned forward, crashing his lips against Castiel's.

Kissing him back, Castiel suddenly let out a loud, filthy moan into Dean's mouth as the other boy palmed at his erection.

"Easy baby," Dean teased, pulling back from the kiss, "I'll take care of you, I promise."

Squeezing his eyes shut, Castiel let Dean's words sink in, shivering at all the possibilities of their meaning.

"I should be telling you to stop," Castiel told him in a moment of clarity, referring to Dean's treatment of him over the last couple of days.

"Then tell me to stop," Dean said mischievously, kissing his cheek.

Castiel, who wanted so badly to prove he could resist Dean's advances, had planned on telling him to back off but ended up not being able to because he was too busy moaning Dean's name like a wanton slut as he latched onto his neck sucking at the sensitive skin.

"That's it, baby. Let me hear you," Dean mumbled against his jugular before running his tongue over Castiel's pulse.

"Dean?" Castiel heard himself ask, his voice needy.

"What is it, Cas?" Dean answered, pulling back to look at Castiel's face.

Before he chickened out, Castiel quickly raised his left hand, running his fingers through Dean's short brown hair.

"Could you…you know…do what you did the first time we ever made out?" Castiel asked apprehensively.

"Which part, gorgeous?" Dean replied, shooting him a cocky smile as Castiel bit his bottom lip.

"With my neck…" Castiel said, his innocence getting the better of him.

Upon hearing his words, realization seemed to overtake Dean who leaned forward again, placing his lips inches away from Castiel's neck.

"You mean this?" Dean asked before sinking his teeth into his flesh, causing Castiel to cry out in pleasure.

"Mmm, yeah that," Castiel moaned, grabbing onto the sleeve of Dean's shirt.

"You know, Cas. I have a request of my own," Dean chuckled after placing a couple of kisses against the new bruise that was already forming on Castiel's neck.

"What's that?" Castiel asked courageously.

He had no idea where this sudden bravery was coming from but he wasn't complaining.

"I'd really appreciate it if this," Dean said, tugging at Castiel's shirt, "would disappear."

"Anything you say, Winchester," Castiel replied, pulling his shirt over his head before laying it over the back of the driver's seat.

"You shouldn't say things like that to me," Dean warned, tugging Castiel into a kiss.

"No, seriously," Castiel said against Dean's lips. "Whatever you say, I'll do it," He added, reaching down to rub his hand against Dean's crotch.

"Fuck, Novak. Are you trying to kill me?" Dean asked, thrusting his hips up to create more friction.

"I could ask you the same question," Castiel retorted, making Dean chuckle.

Then, Dean pushed his lips to Castiel's once more, his tongue greedily exploring every inch of his mouth.

As the kiss continued, Castiel couldn't help but think about how he could seriously kiss Dean forever when the green eyed boy pulled away from him slightly and began trailing kisses down his chest.

Castiel watched intently as Dean moved downward slowly, stopping just before he reached Castiel's waistline.

"Dean…," Castiel heard himself say when he made an attempt to undo the button on Castiel's jeans.

"What's wrong, baby?" Dean asked, looking up at him shyly.

"I…" Castiel started but he was too embarrassed to finish his sentence.

"Castiel what's wrong?" Dean asked again, sitting up so that he was eye level with him.

"I know you will probably think I'm being a little bitch or whatever for saying this but…as you've probably guessed by now, you're the only one I've ever done this sort of thing with and…," Castiel stammered. "And…I don't want to go any further if this is just a hit it and quit it sort of a deal for you." He managed to say.

Castiel knew he was far too attached to Dean for something like that. He couldn't keep up the physical part of their relationship if Dean didn't start acknowledging the emotional side. He had to stop letting his hormones get the better of him and protect his heart. If Dean was going to keep randomly deciding not to speak to him for days at a time and then all of a sudden come onto him full force then Castiel had to shut it down before he ended up devastated with broken heart.

"Okay, Cas. You're right," Dean said after a few seconds of silence.

"I am?" Castiel replied, raising an eyebrow.

"Yeah. I do think you're being a little bitch," Dean answered, grinning like a jackass.

"Fuck you, Winchester," Castiel said, shoving Dean in the chest. "Of course you'd make fun of me," He added, failing to see the humor.

Completely feed up with Dean's bullshit, Castiel then made a move to open the door, wanting nothing more than to get away from him when he felt Dean's hand curl around his upper arm.

Instinctively, Castiel made a fist, punching Dean on the side of his face before making another attempt to get away.

However, even though Castiel's punch landed spot on, it didn't seem to affect Dean in the slightest and before he knew it, Castiel was being flipped on his back, the middle seatbelt digging into his kidneys.

Flailing wildly, Castiel struggled to get free, taking a few punches from Dean before he found himself with his arms pinned above his head.

Staring down at him, Dean fought to catch his breath, blood trickling down the side of his face from a cut Castiel had made just above his right eye.

"Get off me Dean! I'm not kidding!" Castiel shouted in his face.

"Could you stop being a bitchy little girl for like a second?! I was just messing around earlier, Cas. You know I'm not good at this sort of thing," Dean yelled back, causing Castiel to stop struggling beneath him.

"Not good at what sort of thing?" Castiel asked, looking up at Dean with his bright blue eyes.

"Ya know. Feelings or whatever," Dean mumbled.

Completely taken aback, Castiel attempted to speak several times after hearing Dean's confession but he couldn't find the words. Soon, silence fell between the two boys, Dean refusing to move from his position on top of Castiel.

"Are you trying to say I'm not just an easy piece of ass? You want this to be more than just sex?" Castiel eventually asked after what seemed like an eternity.

Slowly, Dean nodded, releasing Castiel's wrists.

"If I was looking for an easy piece of ass, I'd consult the list I have at home of all the girls that are willing to be just that," Dean bragged, making Castiel punching him in the stomach for his trouble. "No, but seriously though. I don't know what the hell this is Castiel but I know it's more than just sex," He added nervously.

"Okay…" Castiel confirmed.

"Really?" Dean asked, clearly surprised at how willingly he had agreed.

"Really, I trust you Dean," Castiel said looking up at him, his blue eyes filled with affection and innocence. "But, you can't keep deciding to stop talking to me for days at a time and then come back excepting everything to be fine. I know we aren't dating but if this is more than just a physical relationship I need you to start acting like it. Otherwise, I'm out," He added, laying down the law.

In response, Dean let out a shaky breath staring back into Castiel's eyes. It was only then that Castiel notice something in Dean's expression. He was looking at Castiel in completely awe.

Truthfully speaking, it was the purest, most caring look Dean had ever given him. But at the same time, something about it was devastatingly heartbreaking.

"You sure?" Dean asked after a moment of hesitation.

"Of course," Castiel answered, causing him to smile from ear to ear.

"Great. Now, can I suck your dick or do you want to keep talking about your feelings?" Dean asked impatiently, snapping back to his usual self.

Instead of a verbal conformation, Castiel unbutton his jeans which Dean took as an invitation to pick up where he had left off.

"Sit up," Dean commanded, moving so Castiel could sit with his back against the back door behind the driver's seat.

After doing as he was told, Castiel could only watch from that point on as Dean seductively ran his hands up his thighs, spreading his legs apart so he could fit between them.

"Holy fuck," Castiel nearly yelled as Dean leaned down, using his teeth to unzip his pants.

"Enjoying the show?" Dean asked, pulling down Castiel's jeans until they, along with his boxers, were pooled at his ankles.

Castiel had meant to respond with 'hell yes' but he couldn't find the words. It didn't matter though; Dean seemed to get the hint, giving him a wink before maneuvering Castiel's right leg over his shoulder and taking him into his mouth.

Letting out a deep, guttural moan, Castiel closed his eyes throwing his head back in pleasure.

He could feel Dean's mouth, hot and wet around his dick and it was without a doubt the best thing that had ever happened to him.

"Dean…I don't know how long I can last-" Castiel gritted out, teetering on the edge.

It was ridiculous and embarrassing but Dean had an affect on him that he couldn't quite explain and with what he was doing with his mouth at that point in time, Castiel didn't stand a chance.

Holding back a whimper, Castiel suddenly felt Dean massage his tongue over the tip of his cock causing him to buck his hips.

"It's okay, Cas," Dean said, pulling his head back to speak, his hand gripping Castiel's left thigh tightly, "Cum for me."

Castiel, unable to answer, let out an animalistic groan in response as Dean then leaned forward, sliding his lips up the length of his dick once again, picking up right where he had left off. Digging his finger nails into the backseat, Dean had barely bobbed his head twice before Castiel felt his muscle tense up, his whole body shuddering as he came.

"Fucking hell," Castiel muttered, watching Dean swallow before leaning his head back against the window of the door, "You're too fucking hot for words, you know that, right?" He asked, taking a deep breath.

Castiel couldn't even feel any shame despite the fact that he had just cum embarrassingly fast. He had been so turned on by Dean that he probably could have just looked him and Castiel would have fallen apart.

"You ain't too bad yourself," Dean answered, kissing he inside of Castiel's right thigh.

"Have you done that before?" Castiel found himself asking, not moving from the position he was in.

"What do you think?" Dean shot back and even though Castiel's eyes were closed he knew Dean had a 'no fucking way' expression on his face.

"Not a chance in hell," Castiel replied, "Which brings me to my next question…How'd you do that?"

"Dunno. I just know what I like so I tried to copy it," Dean told him, sitting up, "Why? You complaining?"

"Fuck no!" Castiel blurted out a little too intensely.

"Good," Dean teased, pulling Castiel down so that his back was against the seat.

Castiel then felt Dean shifting so that he was lying on top of him, hovering so that he could look at Castiel's face.

Opening his eyes, Castiel moved his hand to rest on the side of Dean's cheek as he looked up at him fondly.

At that moment, it seemed as though Dean was going to say something but Castiel cut him off, pressing their lips together.

"Mm. You're a fast learner," Dean teased, after a few minutes of an intense make out session.

"Speaking of, I could take care of that for you," Castiel said, moving his hand to cup Dean's erection, causing him to moan.

"Nah, it's all good," Dean replied in the most causal tone he could manage even though he was panting heavily.

In response, Castiel looked up at him with confusion, slightly hurt at the fact that this was Dean's second time turning him down.

"Don't give me the puppy dog look, Cas," Dean warned, "Seriously, we don't have to rush."

Registering his words, it dawned on Castiel that Dean was trying to take it slow for his sake.

Smiling up at him, Castiel could feel his body tingling with joy at the fact that Dean was being so sweet.

"At least let me do this," Castiel said, making quick work of the button and zipper on Dean's pants before sliding his hand in.

Slowing, he began stroking Dean's cock, peppering his jaw with kisses as he did so.

"Cas…," Dean groan, thrusting his hips downward.

Leaning forward, Castiel put the skills he had learned from Dean to use, taking his bottom lip between his teeth and tugging at it gently.

Chuckling softly, Dean smiled down at him, breathing heavily as Castiel continued to pump his hand around his dick, taking his time as Dean had done with him on Thursday.

However, unlike Castiel, Dean's stamina was much better than his which made it all the more satisfying when he finally come undone several minutes later, calling out Castiel's name.

"Damn," Dean whispered, collapsing on top of him, both of them covered in sweat.

"How'd I do?' Castiel asked, wrapping his arms around Dean.

"I taught you well," Dean teased, kissing Castiel's chest playfully.

"Hey, I deserve a little credit," Castiel protested.

"I'm just kidding Cas. You were fucking amazing," Dean told him, resting his head over Castiel's heart.

Completely exhausted, they then both reached the conclusion that moving was overrated and that they should continue to lie in the backseat, enjoying the afterglow of their orgasms.

Getting comfortable, Castiel then closed his eyes, lazily running his fingers through Dean's hair, perfectly content.

**XXXX**

About an hour later, Castiel was almost asleep when a terrifying thought popped into his mind.

He hadn't told his parents where he was going or that he'd be late coming home.

"Shit! What time is it?" He asked suddenly, startling Dean who had actually fallen asleep.

"Dude, what the hell?" Dean grumbled before yawning and looking at his watch, "It's two."

"In the morning?!" Castiel asked dumbly, panic coursing through his veins, "My parents are going to murder me!"

"Whoa, whoa, whoa. Calm down, drama queen. Let's just get dressed and head out. Why don't you let me drive, huh? I'll have us back in no time," Dean said coolly, trying to keep Castiel from having an anxiety attack.

"Okay…Fuck Dean, I'm in deep shit," Castiel groaned as Dean sat up allowing him to pull up his pants.

"Don't sweat it, Cas. You're not the first kid to break curfew and you won't be the last. Besides, the thought of you breaking the rules is kind of hot," Dean joked, winking at him before getting out of the backseat.

"You're a terrible influence, Dean Winchester." Castiel taunted, trying with all his might not to freak out.

Quickly, he then joined Dean in the front of the car, putting on his seatbelt before Dean floored it, making the he tires screech as he hauled ass back to Bobby's shop.

TO BE CONTINUED…


	16. Too Good to Be True

At first, everything was perfect.

Dean had comforted Castiel about getting home late, smiling and joking like it was nothing out of the ordinary.

However, the closer they got to town, the more awkward the car ride became. And in the last twenty minutes of the drive, Dean didn't say a word to Castiel or even give him some much as a sideways glance.

Becoming extremely nervous, Castiel began to shake from head to toe when they finally arrived back at Bobby's shop, Dean pulling the Prius into a parking space next to the impala.

"Thanks for getting us here so fast, Jr." Castiel teased, watching Dean put the car in park.

Remaining silent, Dean kept his eyes forward reacting as if he didn't hear Castiel.

"Well, I better get going. My pants are probably worried sick. They called me six times," Castiel informed him.

He had left his phone in the cup holder near the front seat of the car and hadn't heard it or maybe had been too distracted to hear it while he and Dean were together.

Waiting for a moment, Castiel then looked over at Dean, expecting him to exit the car so he could get behind the wheel.

"I guess I'll see you tomorrow at school…," Castiel tried again, this time leaning sideways to give Dean a goodbye kiss.

In a flash, Dean grabbed Castiel by the collar, holding him in place so that he couldn't come any closer.

"Don't tell anybody about what happened tonight, you got me?" Dean growled, making Castiel's heart drop into his stomach. "Not even Pamela," He added maliciously.

"What? Dean..," Castiel said, attempting to ask what had gotten into him, but was cut off by Dean aggressively gripping his chin between his thumb and index finger, forcing Castiel to look him in the eyes.

"Not a word to anyone, or I swear to God I'll make you suffer. Do you understand me, Castiel?" Dean questioned, his tone murderous.

Still shaking, Castiel struggled to find his voice, every inch of his body aching with fear.

"Castiel!" Dean repeated, his grip tightening to the point that Castiel was afraid it might bruise.

"I understand," Castiel finally choked out, his eyes welling up with tears.

In response, Dean just stared over at him, looking at Castiel as if he were searching his face for any sign that he was lying.

"Good," Dean said eventually, watching a tear roll down Castiel's cheek. "Avoid me at school if you know what's good for you. I'll see you at work tomorrow," He added, before roughly pressing his lips against Castiel's.

Then, without another word, Dean released his chin and exited the car, leaving Castiel alone in the parking lot as he quickly got in the impala and drove away.

Once Dean was completely out of sight, Castiel put his head in his hands, unable to hold back the sob that had been at the back of his throat the entire time Dean was threatening him.

How could he be so stupid? How could he think Dean Winchester, of all people, would be able to handle a secret relationship with him? He knew he was an idiot for ever believing that Dean could so easily accept the fact that he was attracted to guys as well as girls. Dean was taught from a very young age that being gay was wrong and it was ridiculous for Castiel to entertain the notion that he could just let all of those years of hate go without a second thought. But being the naïve person that he was, Castiel allowed himself to hope that just maybe Dean could change for him.  
>He should have known better.<p>

And the worst part about the whole situation was, Castiel would have never told anyone about what he and Dean were up to, even without being threated. He would never jeopardize his relationship with Dean like that. But it seemed as though Dean didn't trust him and it hurt like hell.

After a few minutes of uncontrollable crying, Castiel composed himself enough to get behind the wheel of the car and drive himself home.

When he finally got to his house, he held back his tears as he wasted little time going inside.

Of course, right when he opened the door, his parents were on him like vultures devouring road kill.

"Castiel Joseph Novak, where in the world have you been?!" Mr. Novak yelled as soon as he laid eyes on him.

"Oh my God, Castiel what happened? Are you okay?" Mrs. Novak interjected, noticing the bruises on Castiel's face as a result of the punches he had taken from Dean earlier that night.

Castiel didn't even have time to respond to his father before suddenly, his mother was pulling him into a hug, visibly concerned for his wellbeing.

It hadn't even occurred to Castiel until that very moment how awful he must have looked. His clothes were a mess, wrinkled and sweaty, with a new giant purplish blue bruise on the right side of his neck to match the fading one on his left. Plus, there were all the other little bruises that had appeared from his little tussle with Dean in the back seat.

Dean.

Just the mere thought of him sent a shouting pain through Castiel's heart.

Before he could stop himself, he wrapped his arms around his mother, sobbing into her shoulder.

"Castiel, please, baby talk to me. What's wrong?" Mrs. Novak pleaded, holding him tightly.

Castiel desperately wanted to tell his mother what had happened but couldn't, for so many reasons. So instead he just held onto her, thankful to be safely wrapped in her arms.

"Cassie? Are you alright?" Castiel suddenly heard his little sister ask as he looked over at where her voice was coming from.

She was standing at the foot of the stairs, Gabriel right behind her, the both of them looking deeply concerned.

"No, little sis…I'm not," Castiel managed to say, finally releasing his mother, "But I really don't want to talk about it right now."

In response, Anna, who looked as though she wanted to argue, silently nodded her understanding.

"Father, I know I'm in trouble and I'm aware I deserved to be punished. It was wrong of me not to let you and mom know where I was going and what I was doing but can you please wait until morning to yell at me? I really don't think I can take anymore tonight," Castiel said, turning to address Mr. Novak, his tone that of utter defeat.

"Of course, son. Are you sure you don't want to talk about what's troubling you?" Mr. Novak asked, shocking Castiel with his sympathetic gesture.

Much to his surprise, his father then stepped forward to lay a comforting hand on his shoulder.

"No, I just want to go to sleep, please," Castiel answered, fighting back tears.

"Okay…good night Castiel," Mr. Novak said before releasing him.

"Good night, sweetie," Mrs. Novak chimed in, giving her son one last hug before Castiel headed upstairs, his siblings following him like lost puppy dogs.

When Castiel reached his room, he didn't even bother to change his clothes. The only thing he did was kick off his shoes before crawling into bed, pulling the blankets up to cover his face.

A few seconds later, Castiel felt his bed dip down under someone's weight. Peeking out from the covers, he saw his older brother sitting in front of him a worried expression on his face.

"I'm so sorry you're hurting little brother," Gabriel said, running his hand over Castiel's hair.

The action, much to Castiel's dismay, made him start crying again.

"My heart feels like it's going to explode," Castiel confessed, leaning into his brother's touch.

"It's okay, buddy. I'm here, just let it out," Gabriel comforted, allowing Castiel to vent his emotions.

"I was so stupid, Gabe," Castiel told him.

"I don't believe that. Trusting? Probably. Naïve? Most likely. But not stupid," Gabriel said, wiping a tear from Castiel's face.

"I knew I shouldn't have fallen for him," Castiel cried.

"From the looks of your face I'd say I agree," Gabriel teased, trying to make Castiel laugh, "And why do I get the sneaking suspicion you were lying when you said the black eye and the bite mark weren't related?

"Because I was," Castiel admitted, laughing without humor.

"Little brother, I know you don't want to talk right now, but I want you to know that I'm going to get to the bottom of what's going on with you and I'm going to help you fix it, okay? Even if it includes murdering the bastard that hurt you," Gabriel told him, his playful tone gone.

"You won't have to if I get to him first," Castiel said, tearing up again.

Castiel knew what he was saying was just an empty threat but he was so mad at Dean he couldn't stop the words from coming out of his mouth.

"Cassie?" He heard Anna ask again, her voice coming out of nowhere as she climbed into Castiel's bed.

"Can I stay in your room tonight?" She asked, interrupting Gabriel and his conversation by leaning over him, resting her chin on his shoulder.

Unable to speak, Castiel nodded his approval. The last thing he wanted was to be alone.

"Okay, get some rest Castiel. It will all be better in the morning, I promise," Gabriel assured him, before kissing his little brother's forehead.

"Good night, big brother," Castiel whispered as Gabriel got up from the bed.

"Night kid," Gabriel replied before shutting off the lights.

"Good night Cassie," Anna whispered a couple minutes later, snuggling into his back.

"Night baby sis," Castiel answered.

"I love you," Anna told him.

"Love you too, Anna." He replied, shutting his eyes.

**XXXX**

Even though Castiel was exhausted, he had a horrendous time trying to fall asleep. Tossing and turning for hours, he kept replaying his altercation with Dean over and over again in his head.

Finally, around 5 a.m. Castiel's eyes mercifully slid shut, his body unable to function any longer.

However, it was only two hours later that his alarm clock went off, warning him it was time to get ready for school.

"Fuck," Castiel grumbled, rolling over to hit the snooze button.

"I don't know who or what has got you talking so vulgar but I'm not sure I like it," Anna said from beside him, her voice rough with sleep.

"Sorry sis…Did I keep you up?" He asked, turning to face the redhead.

"It's okay Cassie. And no, I was pretty much dead to the world. Why? Did you not sleep well?" His little sister inquired, her worried tone from the night before returning.

"Eh, not really but it's fine. Why don't you head down stairs for breakfast? I'm going to grab a quick shower," Castiel told her as he sat up to stretch.

"Okay, Cassie. See you in a bit," Anna agreed, hopping out of bed to join the rest of her family in the kitchen.

The Novaks were all early risers and Castiel could hear his parents down stairs shuffling around, making breakfast.

Once Anna was out of sight, Castiel got up gingerly, his whole body ridged and sore.

Quickly, he grabbed what he wanted to wear to school and a towel and headed to the bathroom. The warm water of the shower felt amazing on his skin and he would have stayed in there a lot longer but he didn't want to be late.

After rinsing the soap off his body and washing his hair, Castiel turned off the water and stepped out of the tub, wrapping his towel around his waist.

He then wiped the steam off the mirror above the sink to examine himself closely.

The result was, he looked like hell.

The bruise on the right side of his neck was a deep shade of purple and the one on the left was a nasty yellow color because it was healing. He had dark circles under his eyes from the lack of sleep and bruises around his wrists from where Dean had held them. Not to mention all the other little scattered bruises across his face.

Giving his body a once over, Castiel also learned that he had another bruise shaped like Dean's hand on his left thigh.

Seeing the marks Dean had left on his body sent a wave of pain through Castiel that felt as though he were being stabbed repeatedly in the chest with a dull knife. The very thought of Dean brought tears to Castiel's eyes, causing him to curse under his breath before shaking himself out of his downward spiral. Sighing, he pushed his memories of the previous night out of his mind, focusing on the task of getting dressed before heading downstairs.

"There he is. Hey, little brother," Gabriel said, from the kitchen table when Castiel entered the room.

Nodding, Castiel took his usual seat between Anna and his older brother across from their parents at the table.

"I'd ask you how you're feeling, but if you feel anything like you look the answer has to be pretty damn bad," Gabriel teased, making Castiel smile ever so slightly.

"Gabriel," Mrs. Novak scolded, causing him to shrug his shoulders. "Castiel honey, why don't you eat something?" She added with a warm smile, ignoring her first born.

Sadly, the very mention of food made Castiel's stomach clench with repulsion.

"I'm really not hungry momma," Castiel told her pathetically.

"Son, I know you are still not feeling well this morning but when you come home from work tonight we are going to have a talk," Mr. Novak interjected suddenly.

"Yes sir," Castiel agreed.

"And I expect you to come straight home when you are done, understood?" Mr. Novak added.

"I understand dad." Castiel sighed, getting up to grab his backpack.

**XXXX**

When his mom dropped Anna and him off at school later that morning, Castiel made it his mission to try to avoid Pamela.

He didn't feel up to explaining what had happen to him and frankly he didn't have any good lies to tell her.

Unfortunately, the task was not as easy as it sounded.

He didn't had much of an option when it came to hiding place, so he had decided to hangout in the courtyard at one of the benches when Pamela found him not a minute after he sat down.

He had picked the spot because it was close enough to his classroom that he wouldn't be late when the bell rang but it also wasn't as crowed and loud as the hallway where his locker was. And apparently it was the first place Pamela went when Castiel didn't show up at their normal rendezvous point.

"Hey, why are you out here?" Pamela asked, walking over to him.

Looking up, Castiel taught his best friend's eye, making her gasped.

"Castiel, oh my God." She said, rushing forward to hug him.

Standing, Castiel squeezed her back tightly, burying his face in her shoulder.

They stayed like that for a while, only separating when the bell rang. Pamela, letting go first, then proceeded to grab Castiel's hand, holding it firmly in hers as they made their way to class.

"Did that pathetic excuse of a man do this to you?" She asked as they entered the hall.

"I can't talk about it right now…I really don't want to spend all of homeroom bawling," Castiel told her and much to his surprise she drop the subject for the time being.

After a short walk, they arrived at their classroom, Castiel automatically laying his head down on his desk when he took his seat.

As the announcements played over the loud speaker, he almost drifted off to sleep but was started awake by his pocket vibrating.

Cautiously, he grabbed his cell phone, clicking the home screen to see that he had a text from Gabriel.

Opening it, Castiel kept his phone under his desk, out of the teacher's sight so he could read the message.

To: Cassie  
>From: Gabe<p>

Castiel. I'm fully aware that you are going through some shit and trust me little bro, I sympathize. But if you don't mind explaining, I would love to know why in fuck's name MY car stinks like sex?!

'Oh shit,' Castiel thought, 'Gabriel is going to kill me.'

Under any other circumstances, Castiel probably would have laughed hysterically after reading his big brother's angry text message but he just couldn't make himself enjoy the humor.

To: Gabe  
>From: Cassie<p>

That is a long, complicated story.

To: Cassie  
>From: Gabe<p>

Seriously Castiel, what's up with you?

Castiel scoffed quietly at the latest text from his brother as the bell for first period rang.

To: Gabe  
>From: Cassie<p>

Also complicated.

After Castiel responded, he quickly shoved his phone back in his pocket and got up, throwing his back pack over his shoulder.

"I'll see you at lunch, okay?" Pamela asked, giving him one last hug before they parted ways.

"See you then," He replied as Pamela ducked into a classroom across the hall.

Castiel then set out to his first period class, which just so happened to be the subject he hated the most, P.E.

Nevertheless, Castiel put on his best game face and headed to the locker room, trying not to think about the fact that he and Dean shared the class. Or the more troubling fact that Dean's locker was right across from Castiel's.

Reaching the locker room, Castiel took a deep breath before entering, looking around timidly.

Turning the corner with caution, he scanned his surroundings carefully for any sign of Dean.

Much to his relief, it looked as though most of the boys had already changed and were out on the field including the green eyed boy he was hoping to avoid.

With the coast seemly clear, Castiel then quickly went to his locker and changed into his uniform, periodically looking over his shoulder. He could only image how paranoid he looked.

Once he was done, he joined the rest of the stragglers making their way out to the field.

"Alright listen up. You ladies are running the mile today," Castiel heard his coach say as he finally reached the rest of his classmates.

'The mile. Great,' Castiel complained mentally.

Rolling his eyes, he continued to listen to his coach, scanning the group of boys in front of him, witnessing similar reactions.

He was just about to turn his attention back to his teacher when his heart nearly seized in his chest as Dean Winchester came into focus. He was standing across from Castiel, surrounded by his standard group of airheaded minions, looking amazing as usual which made Castiel even angrier at him than before.

Without hesitation, he then dropped his gaze, not wanting to make eye contact with Dean.

Suddenly, he heard a whistle blow, taking his mind off of the jerk who had broken his heart as he realized the group of boys were moving as a herd to the starting line of the mile, leaving Castiel in their dust.

Only one boy stayed behind, Castiel's good friend Gadreel who then walked up to him, looking concerned.

"Castiel…," Gadreel said, joining him as they followed the rest of the boys.

"Don't ask G. I really don't want to talk about it," Castiel told him and thankfully Gadreel listened.

"On your mark, go!" The coached yelled, Castiel and Gadreel beginning to run upon hearing the command.

"This fucking sucks," Castiel complained, as Gadreel kept a steady pace by his side.

"Did you just curse?" Gadreel asked in shock.

"Are you gonna pass out on me?" Castiel teased, giving his friend a playful shove as they continued to run.

"Shut up, hearing you curse is like watching Santa Clause punch a baby," Gadreel laughed, sticking his tongue out at Castiel.

Castiel was about to respond when he felt someone push passed him, knocking him into Gadreel.

"Get out of the way, faggot," Michael sneered, not bothering to look at him as he continued to run.

"Suck my dick," Castiel retorted, his exhaustion and pain allowing him to throw caution to the wind.

"What the fuck did you say to me?" Michael asked, stopping dead in his tracks.

"Wow, deaf and dumb. Your mother must be proud," Castiel spat, causing Gabreel's breath to hitch in his throat.

"You just wait, you fucking queer. You'll pay for that," Michael threatened as his friend Balthazar caught up to him.

Castiel knew Michael wouldn't try anything out in the open, not after being reprimanded by Dean, but he was relieved all the same when he and his friend ran ahead leaving Gadreel and him behind.

"Are you crazy?!" Gadreel shouted, running after Castiel who had returned to the task at hand.

"I'm starting to think that the answer to your question is a big ol resounding yes," Castiel admitted.

"Jesus Christ, Castiel," Gadreel muttered, shaking his head.

Continuing to run, Castiel and Gadreel ended up completely the mile in the amount of time deemed average for boys their age.

"Good job Novak, Wilson," Their coach congratulated as they crossed the finish line, "Grab some water and hit the showers."

Of course, all the boys from the football time had completely their run under the allotted time which meant Michael was waiting for Castiel when he returned to the locker room.

"Hey faggot," Michael shouted as Castiel walked up to his locker, Gadreel right behind him.

"Go get your shower Gadreel," Castiel said, ignoring Michael who was making his way over to him.

"Castiel, I'm not going to leave you," Gadreel protested, although he looked extremely pale.

With the intention of detecting how close Michael was to them, Castiel then turned his head, catching sight of Dean out of the corner of his eye. He was standing at his locker, pulling on a blue shirt, his hair damp from his shower. The cut that Castiel had made above his right eye the night before was swollen and a little red but apart from that Dean looked like his normal everyday self. He hadn't even flinch when he noticed Michael advancing toward Castiel, visibly out for blood. Everything about him screamed confident and unfazed. And frankly it pissed Castiel off.

"I've got this Gadreel. Seriously go shower," Castiel said firmly, pushing his friend gently away from him.

"Better listen to your little homo friend," Michael warned, finally reaching Castiel's locker.

Gadreel, looking absolutely terrified, reluctantly did as he was told, disappearing into the other room where the showers were located.

Once Gadreel was safe, Castiel turned to face Michael, trying his best not to look intimidate.

"Look at you," Michael teased, seeing that Castiel wasn't going to back down, "When'd you grow a spine, queer?"

"Blow me, Michael," Castiel shot back and before he could defend himself he felt Michael's fist connect with his stomach.

Doubling over, Castiel had just enough time to see a flash of emotion streak across Dean's face before Balthazar and Uriel, another one of Michael's friend and a member of the football team, grabbed both his arms, restraining him.

"You're going to regret opening your mouth," Michael taunted, delivering another punch to Castiel's stomach.

Struggling against Uriel and Balthazar's hold, Castiel tried with all his might to break free but he was too sore and too exhausted to have any success.

Eventually, he gave up, looking over at Dean who was rooted to the spot, staring at the scene in front of him.

"Well look at that," Michael said coyly, "Even when he's getting his ass handed to him he can't help be eye fuck the captain."

Turning bright red upon hearing Michael's words, Castiel sucked in a shallow breath as Michael turned to Dean, a wicked smile on his face.

"How bout it, Cap? You want to teach this faggot a lesson?" Michael asked and for a split second Castiel though maybe, just maybe, Dean would put an end to his plans.

But man, was he wrong.

"Hell yeah I do," Castiel heard Dean say maliciously before he stepped forward punching him in the gut just as Michael had done.

Castiel let out a small cry of pain but couldn't stop himself from looking up into Dean's green eyes which were clouded with hate.

The punch was painful but Castiel knew from personal experience it wasn't anywhere near as hard as a real punch from Dean Winchester.

Dean was holding back.

As a crowd of boys gathered around to watch Castiel's beating something inside him snapped. His blood boiled at the thought of Dean taking pity on him. The last thing he wanted from Dean was his pity. Frankly, if he was being honest, after what happened between them the night before, he didn't want anything from Dean.

"You…hit like a girl, Winchester," Castiel gasped out suddenly, making the whole room go completely silent.

Dean's eyes narrowed in response to Castiel's comment, his jaw set as he gave him an icy glare which almost made his blood curdle.

"Is that so, faggot?" Dean asked, but it didn't sound like his voice. His tone was cold, distant, and completely foreign from the tender affection he had spoken with just last night.

"That's right. Hell, you might as well be wearing a skirt," Castiel taunted, causing the room full of boys to laugh.

At that moment, he saw a small smile tugging at the corner of Dean's lips before he pulled back his right fist and punched Castiel as hard as he could in the jaw.

After that, Castiel's vision went black.

TO BE CONTINUED...


	17. You Cloud My Judgement

When Castiel finally regained consciousness, he found himself lying on his back on a cot in the nurse's office.

"Mr. Novak, thank goodness." He heard the nurse, Mrs. Carter say, her voice full of relief.

"How'd I get here?" Castiel asked, regretting his decision to talk almost immediately.

Sitting up, he felt a burning sensation in his jaw, his head spinning.

"Your friend Gadreel Wilson found you on the locker room floor unconscious and he carried you here," Mrs. Carter informed him.

Castiel, nodding, stopped himself from smiling at the thought of his friend helping him out, his jaw hurting too much to move it.

"Mr. Novak, do you remember what happened?" Mrs. Carter asked on a serious note.

"I slipped on some water. It must have been on the floor from one of the boys who took a shower," Castiel lied, "I guess I just hit my head."

In response, Mrs. Carter narrowed her eyes at him suspiciously.

"Mr. Novak, you do realize that none of the injuries you sustained are consisted with that load of bull you just told me, right?" She asked, making Castiel laugh at her bluntness.

"I don't know what you are talking about, ma'am," Castiel replied innocently.

"Castiel," Mrs. Carter said, her voice soft as she laid a hand on his shoulder, "You can tell me the truth. If you are scared of someone we can tell the principal and he can keep you safe."

"I slipped Mrs. Carter, honestly," Castiel repeated, giving the nurse a weak smile.

He hated to lie to such a sweet lady and he appreciated that she was trying to help him, but if he ratted out Michael and the others he knew they would make him pay one way or another. And, although he didn't want to think about why, he still felt the need to protect Dean, even after what he had done.

"If you insist Mr. Novak," Mrs. Carter conceded, "Well, your brother should be here any minute to pick you up."

"My brother? You called Gabriel?" Castiel asked, extremely confused.

"You've been out for the better part of an hour Mr. Novak and it doesn't take a genius to know that you have a concussion," Mrs. Carter explained, "I called you mother first but neither her or your father could get time off from work to come pick you up. Your bother however, managed to swing it."

Registering the nurse's words, Castiel's heart picked up its pace at the thought of Gabriel asking to be excused from work to come get him. He knew that even if his boss had said no, Gabriel would have come anyway.

Silently, Castiel prayed to any god that would listen in hopes that he hadn't cost his big brother his only source of income.

"Why don't you lie back down until your brother gets here?" Castiel heard Mrs. Carter suggest, pulling him away from his thoughts.

"No need, I have arrived," Castiel heard Gabriel say as he looked over to see him standing in the doorway of the nurse's office.

Then, before he could stop himself, Castiel got up from the bed as fast as he could, pulling his older brother into a hug.

"He needs rest," Mrs. Carter said as Gabriel squeeze Castiel tightly.

"Yes ma'am. Come on Cassie, let's get you home," Gabriel cooed, forcing his little brother to let go of him.

Nodding, Castiel glanced over his shoulder at Mrs. Carter who gave him a small wave before Gabriel and he made their way to the parking lot of the school.

Reaching the Prius, Castiel and Gabriel got in silently, not a word exchanged between them the whole car ride home.

It was only after the fifteen minute drive to their house that Gabriel finally said something.

"Castiel, this has got to stop." Gabriel said sternly, pulling up to the sidewalk.

"I'm fine, Gabe," Castiel lied.

"No, you're not. And if I didn't have to get back to work right now we'd be having a serious talk. But you best believe we're going to do just that when I get home, you hear me dude?" Gabriel asked, sounding like he meant business.

"I hear you," Castiel answered before getting out of the car, making a beeline for the front door.

In record breaking time, Castiel was up the stairs and changed into his pajamas, or rather just his pajama pants not bothering to pull on a shirt, asleep before his head even hit the pillow.

**XXXX**

Passing out for a good seven hours, Castiel didn't even turn over until Gabriel got home from work that night, startling him awake by barging into his room.

"Cassie, get up! You need to eat," He heard Gabriel say, swatting away his hand as his big brother tried to shake him.

"I'm not hungry," Castiel groaned, putting a pillow over his head.

"Tough shit. Eat. Now." Gabriel demanded and it was only then that Castiel smelled the pizza he had brought him.

Rolling over, he sat up gingerly, taking the food greedily.

"Mom and dad home?" Castiel asked as Gabriel took a seat beside him on the bed.

"Yeah, they're downstairs discussing what to do about their precious little angel's boo boo," Gabriel mocked, causing Castiel to snort between bites of pizza.

"Shut up, jackass," Castiel replied.

"Mom has been in here hovering over you ever since she got home from work," Gabriel told him, rolling his eyes.

"I'm surprised she left before I woke up. How'd you get her out of here?" Castiel asked, setting down his food to take a breather.

He had scarfed down half his pizza before he even realized and he didn't want to make himself sick.

"I told her you were sleeping, not in a coma…She didn't find that very amusing," Gabriel laughed, "In the end it was actually dad that got her to go downstairs so they could talk."

"I'm fine…I just slipped and hit my head," Castiel lied, feeling the need to explain his situation to Gabriel before he started asking questions.

"Yeah, sure…," Gabriel said, "Well, as far as mom is concerned you had a boulder dropped on your head. She's freaking out so much she actually wants to cancel her and dad's business trip."

"Whoa, wait. Their business trip to New York is this week?" Castiel asked, completely taken aback.

"Dude, do you seriously not remember? They're supposed to leave tomorrow after mom takes you and Anna to school and they'll be gone till Saturday afternoon," Gabriel explained.

"I totally forgot…," Castiel admitted, going back to his pizza, "I've been a little distracted lately."

"No shit, Sherlock," Gabriel teased, making Castiel stick his tongue out at him.

Then, out of nowhere, panic hit Castiel like an eighteen wheeler, his parents' business trip not the only thing he had forgotten about.

"Shit! I totally forgot to call Bobby! I'm on probation at work…Fuck, I probably don't have a job anymore," Castiel blurted out, looking around frantically for his phone.

"Dude, relax! I called Bobby. He knows you have a concussion. You don't have to come in until Wednesday. And what the hell did you do that got you put on probation?" Gabriel asked.

Ignoring his question, Castiel smiled affectionately at his big brother, sighing with relief.

"You're the best, Gabe. Thank you so much, for everything," He said, causing Gabriel to shake his head.

"You're damn right I'm the best," Gabriel replied sarcastically, ruffling Castiel's hair.

Reaching the crust of his pizza, Castiel had just taken another bite of his food when he heard a knock at his door, looking over to see Anna poking her head in cautiously.

"Can I join you guys?" She asked.

"Of course you can, squirt," Castiel said, patting the bed next to him for Anna to take a seat.

Accepting his invitation, Anna stepped fully into the room, Castiel instantly noticing that his little sister was holding something small and black in her arms.

"Look what I found," Anna said happily, relieving a tiny fuzzy kitten.

Setting his empty pizza plate to the side, Castiel reached out to take the fragile creature Anna was handing him.

"He's precious," Castiel said.

"Look, he's got pretty blue eyes just like you Cassie," Anna told him.

Glancing down, Castiel immediately noticed what Anna had said was true. The kitten had the brightest blue eyes which sparkled against its black fur.

"Do you want to take care of him for the night?" Anna asked, taking Castiel by surprise.

"Are you sure, baby sis?" Castiel questioned, nuzzling the kitten to his chest.

"Of course!" She replied, overjoyed that Castiel accepted her offer, "You just have to promise to cuddle him a lot."

"Deal," Castiel agreed smiling widely at his sister, despite the pain in his jaw.

"Nice, Castiel starts cursing and coming home covered in bruises and he gets to borrow a kitten for the night…Yet, here I am acting like a responsible adult for once in my life and what do I get? Jack squat," Gabriel wined, making Castiel and Anna laugh.

"Sucks to suck big brother," Castiel teased, feeling his eyes beginning to get heavy again.

"You're a brat, you know that Cassie?" Gabriel asked, shaking his head once more.

Castiel, giving him a sly smile, leaned back against his pillow, not bothering to answer as Anna's kitten curled up on his chest.

"Go back to sleep, punk. I'll tell the parental units you were too out of it to talk and try to convince mom that I can take care of you while they are on their trip. Oh, and don't think I've forgotten about what I said earlier. We are still going to discuss what happened," Gabriel huffed in frustration as he stood up, grabbing the empty pizza plate from Castiel's side table.

"Whatever you say big brother," Castiel mumbled before closing his eyes.

"Night Cassie, take care of the little one," He heard Anna say before she and Gabriel left the room.

"Thanks Anna..," Castiel barely whispered before passing back out.

**XXXX**

It was midnight when Castiel woke up again.

He probably would have slept the entire night through, still exhausted and in pain, if it hadn't been for Anna's kitten crying in his ear.

"What is it little man?" Castiel asked, groggily reaching out to pet him.

The kitten, leaning into Castiel's touch, meowed at him in response as though he were scared.

Then, out of nowhere, Castiel heard a clicking sound coming from his window across the room. Being on the second story, his entire body froze as he stared at the glass, trying to determine the source of the noise.

Click, click, click

Curiosity getting the better of him, Castiel then slowly got up from his bed, having to take a moment to gather his baring. His head still throbbed and he felt a little dizzy, but he had to know what was causing the mysterious sound.

Once he was steady enough to walk, Castiel made his way over to the window, scanning the ground below.

Focusing his eyes, Castiel's heart practically stopped beating when he saw Dean Winchester standing there throwing rocks at his window.

Blinded by rage, Castiel didn't stop to think before he worked open the window as fast as he could, leaning his body out slightly so Dean could see him.

"It's about time sleeping beauty. I've been down here for like twenty minutes," Dean called up in a loud whisper.

"What the fuck do you want?" Castiel spat back, glaring down at the green eyed boy.

"I need to talk to you, please, Cas. Come down here?" Dean asked, his voice back to its normal smooth tone and full of charm.

"Go fuck yourself," Castiel responded, making a move to slam the window shut in Dean's face.

"Castiel, I swear if you don't come down here I'll scale the fucking wall," Dean threatened, making Castiel roll his eyes.

"You think I'm lying?" Dean asked after a few seconds of silence from Castiel, "Test me."

"Fine, just give me a damn minute. I'll open the gate for you," Castiel agreed with quite a bit of reluctance.

He then shut his window, giving the kitten a reassuring pat on the head as a silent promise that he would be back, before making his way down stairs to his backyard.

Castiel had decided that his backyard was best place for Dean and him to talk, or more likely fight, because it was fifteen arches of forest and in theory the neighbors shouldn't be able to hear them. More importantly, the location was dark and covered with trees, well hidden from prying eyes.

Tiptoeing through the house, Castiel finally reach the sliding glass door in his kitchen that led to his back porch. His plan, once he was there, had been to let Dean in through the side gate but when he stepped outside he realized that wouldn't be necessary. Much to his surprise, Dean was already sitting on his porch swing, waiting for him.

Castiel could only assume that he had jumped the fence being the impatient asshole that he was.

"What is it that you so desperately need to talk to me about?" Castiel asked, taking a step back when Dean got up from his seat.

Clenching his jaw with determination, Castiel did his best to ignore the pained look his action caused on Dean's face, glaring at the green eyed boy with contempt.

"Cas," Dean whispered, taking another step toward him.

"Don't," Castiel warned, holding up his hands as he backed away until he was against the side of the house, "You don't get to do that."

"Do what?" Dean asked softly, walking up to stand in front of Castiel so that the palms of his hands were pressed firmly against Dean's chest.

"You don't get to talk to me like that or look at me like you're looking at me right now, all affectionate and gentle. Not after what you did," Castiel gritted out, tears forming in his eyes.

"I'm sorry, baby. I really am," Dean told him sincerely, leaning forward to rest his forehead against Castiel's.

"That's not going to cut it, Dean," Castiel almost shouted, shoving Dean away even though it was the last thing he wanted to do.

"What do you want me to say, Cas? I'm sorry, alright? Please, I'm sorry," Dean repeated, attempting to kiss Castiel.

Reacting out of anger, Castiel pulled back his hand in response, slapping Dean hard across the face before he could stop himself.

When his palm connected with Dean's cheek there was a loud crack and he honestly wasn't sure who his action surprised more, himself or Dean.

For a moment, Dean just stood there as if he were physically and mentally unable to process what had just happened. He remained silent for such a long time that at one point, Castiel was actually contemplating apologizing to him when suddenly he was being pushed back against the side of the house, Dean's hand around his neck.

"Come on," Dean barked before stepping back, releasing Castiel's neck and holding his hands out to the side.

Studying him for a moment, Castiel tried to understand what Dean meant, not following his train of thought. Then suddenly, he realized what Dean was expecting and with a look of utter disgust, Castiel shook his head no.

"I'm not going to hit you, Dean," Castiel told him firmly.

"Just do it, Cas. It will make you feel better," Dean said, egging him on. "Come on, stop being such a girl and hit me."

Losing all self-restraint at Dean's last comment, Castiel punched him straight in the jaw with all his might, knocking Dean to the ground. In a flash, he was on top of Dean, straddling his hips so that he could deliver more blows to his face.

"I hate you!" Castiel yelled, tears streaming down his cheeks as he punched Dean once again in the jaw.

"I know you do, baby. I'm sorry," Dean whispered, not lifting a finger to defend himself.

With each punch, Dean continued to apologize; Castiel not stopping until his knuckles were bruised and sore.

"I'm sorry," Castiel mumbled, finally coming to his senses seven or eight punches later.

Taking a deep ragged breath, he looked down at Dean apologetically, already regretting his actions.

"Don't be," Dean replied, his face swollen and bruised.

In response, Castiel leaned forward to press his forehead against the boy's below as he sobbed uncontrollably.

After a few seconds, he felt Dean's left hand find his bare back, rubbing circles between his shoulder blades.

"Shhh, it's okay Cas," Dean whispered, gently flipping their positions.

Once Dean was hovering over him, Castiel forced himself to look up at the green eyed boy through tear blurred eyes. He immediately noticed dark blue bruises forming on his jaw and left eye. Upon further inspection, he also saw that the cut that he had made above Dean's eye the night before was bleeding again, along with a new cut on his bottom lip.

"Dean…I didn't mean to…I'm sorry," Castiel repeated, reaching up to cup the side of Dean's face with his hand.

Without hesitation, Dean leaned into his touch, shutting his eyes.

"Don't you dare apologize, Castiel, this isn't your fault," Dean said before opening his eyes to lean down and kiss him.

Castiel could taste the blood from the cut on Dean's lip as he kissed him back, savoring the feeling. He had honestly thought that after their fight in PE that he would never get to kiss Dean again and now that he was, he never wanted to stop.

Frantically, he pulled Dean closer, threading his fingers through his hair as he continued to kiss him with everything he had.

"Hey, take it easy tiger," Dean teased, breaking the kiss with a grunt of pain.

"You infuriate me," Castiel confessed, looking up at Dean with pure, raw emotion.

He would never be able to understand how he could love someone who treated him the way Dean did or how Dean could flip flop his emotions at the drop of a hat. And it scared Castiel to death that he was so willing to forgive Dean and that he often played fast and loose with his own heart when it came to things concerning the green eyed boy.

"I know," Dean replied simply before kissing Castiel's forehead.

"And I'm still so mad at you…," Castiel huffed.

"I don't blame you, you have every right to be," Dean confessed, moving down to press his lips to Castiel's cheek.

"I shouldn't even want you anywhere near me," Castiel said, putting his hands on both sides of Dean's bruised face, wiping the blood tricking down his chin away with his thumb.

"But you do, don't you? You want me here?" Dean asked nervously, looking down at Castiel, "Do you still even want me in general?"

"That's the worst part," Castiel sighed, lifting up to kiss Dean softly on the lips, "I want you so much it hurts. And it makes me so damn angry that I can't just let what we have go. You've made my life a living hell for the last eleven years and yet I'm terrified of losing you."

"I don't want to lose you either, Cas," Dean replied, shocking Castiel.

"You sure have a funny way of showing, Winchester," Castiel teased, playfully punching him in the chest.

"I'm not kidding, baby. I've been going out of my mind thinking that you'd never speak to me again," Dean confessed.

"Did you legitimately just express your feelings to me?" Castiel asked, unable to pass up a chance to be sarcastic to Dean.

"Will you stop being an asshole and listen? I'm trying to tell you that the thought of not having you around was seriously the worst thing I could think of," Dean said, making Castiel's heart flutter.

"You like having me around?" Castiel asked, smiling up at him.

"Yeah," Dean confirmed with a flirty smirk, "You're tolerable," He added playfully.

"I missed you too," Castiel said, pulling Dean into a long, slow kiss.

Kissing back, Dean ran his fingers through Castiel's hair, wincing due to he cut on his lip but never faltering.

"I'm sorry," Dean apologized when he finally broke the kiss to take a breath.

"It's okay, I know Michael and the others wouldn't have stopped until you joined in…but I can't keep doing this Dean," Castiel told him, on the verge of tears once more.

"I know, baby, I know. But for right now, let's save that talk for another time. You should go back to bed," Dean said.

"And there you go again, showing a little bit of emotion just to go on to avoid talking about the real issue. And somehow, here I am, willing to agree with you," Castiel mumbled, shaking his head.

"What can I say? I've got talent," Dean replied, winking at him.

Sighing, Castiel just nodded his head in response, too tired and in too much pain emotionally and physically to argue.

"Come with me?" Castiel asked suddenly as Dean got to his feet, offering Castiel a hand.

Taking it, Castiel stood up, Dean grabbing him by the waist as soon as he did so, wrapping his arms around Castiel's middle.

"Cas, you know I can't," Dean said, kissing his cheek once more.

Instinctively, Castiel throw his arms around Dean's neck, holding onto him for dear life.

"Why?" Castiel questioned, refusing to accept no for an answer.

"Well, for one your parents," Dean replied, chuckling.

"I have a lock on my door," Castiel said, disputing Dean's argument, "Please, we both know your dad will never know your gone. And I can set my alarm earlier so you can leave before my family wakes up."

"So basically you're asking me to stay here and get maybe five hours of sleep on a school night while taking the risk of getting caught by your parents?" Dean asked, looking down at Castiel.

"That's exactly what I'm asking," Castiel replied.

Letting out a defeated sigh, Dean smiled, nodding his head.

"Okay, baby," He agreed.

"Really?" Castiel questioned, truly surprised Dean didn't put up more of a fight.

"Yeah," Dean said, "Consider this the first step of the very long apology I owe you for this morning."

"Do you want to stay?" Castiel asked timidly, wondering if Dean was just agreeing because he felt like he had to.

"You have no I idea how bad I want to stay, Cas. And how amazed and grateful I am that you even want me too," Dean confessed.

"I'm really into this telling me how you feel kick of yours," Castiel said, playing down how happy he really was.

"Ugh, I'm glad, cause it's making my skin crawl," Dean teased, making Castiel roll his eyes.

"Just shut up and come on," Castiel replied, taking Dean by the hand to led him through the glass door, locking it behind him before they carefully and quietly made their way through the house.

In retrospect, Castiel couldn't help but think how it was an honest to God miracle that not one member of his family had heard his full on brawl with Dean or caught them sneaking around. At that moment, heading up to his room with Dean right by his side, he found himself thinking seriously about sending whoever built their house a thank you letter and a fruit basket for a job well down on the insulation.

Once upstairs, Castiel motioned for Dean to stay still while he made a pit stop at the bathroom to quickly grab a wash cloth and peroxide. When he had retrieved the items, he then led Dean down the hallway to his bedroom, flipping on the lights before locking the door behind them.

"Here, let me clean you up," Castiel said, opening the peroxide and wetting the wash cloth with it.

"Dude, I'm fine," Dean protested, blood smeared all over his face.

"Come here, damn it," Castiel insisted, reaching up to run the rag over the large gash above Dean's eye.

Dean flinched slightly when the peroxide came into contact with his cut but obeyed, rolling his eyes as Castiel began to clean his wounds.

In no time, Castiel had rid Dean's face of all excess blood, leaving the raw cuts exposed but clean.

"I'm sorry," Castiel said after he had sat the dirty wash cloth down on his desk putting the bottle of peroxide next to it.

He then stepped forward, kissing the cut on Dean's lip gently before hugging him.

Without saying a word, Dean's hands found their way to Castiel's hips pulling him close as he shut his eyes, leaning his forehead against Castiel's.

The room was silent as they held each other, only breaking apart when the sound of meowing reached their ears.

"Well who do we have here?" Dean whispered, opening his eyes to catch sight of the tiny ball of fluff perched on the edge of Castiel's bed.

Releasing Castiel, Dean wasted little time heading over to the bed, reaching out to pet the kitten.

"My sister found him...I didn't get all the details but she's letting me take care of him for the night," Castiel informed him as Dean picked up the kitten, gingerly scratching between its ears.

"Hey there little fella," Dean cooed, making the feline purr loudly in response.

Smiling, Castiel shook his head at the sight, at a loss for words.

"What?" Dean asked before kissing the kitten behind its right ear.

"Big bad Dean Winchester cuddling a kitten…I think the apocalypse is upon us," Castiel teased as Dean shot him a dirty look.

"Shut up and lay down, you're pale," Dean retorted, setting the kitten down at the foot of the bed gently.

"Yeah, I'm not feeling so hot. Some asshat punched me in the face," Castiel said, getting into bed.

"Oh yeah? Well, some douche bag just did the same thing to me repeatedly about ten minutes ago," Dean fired back, pulling his shirt over his head to discard it on the floor.

"Pussy," Castiel teased, watching Dean shimmy out of his jeans before crawling into bed next to him in nothing but his boxers.

"Did I mention how much that filthy mouth of yours turns me on?" Dean chuckled.

Rolling his eyes, Castiel reached over to turn of the lamp on his bedside table, extinguishing all light from the room.

Settling down, he then laid on his back, feeling the kitten nuzzling against his foot at the edge of the bed as he closed his eyes.

None of the major issues concerning Dean and his relationship had been resolved that night but for the time being Castiel could only think about the fact that Dean had been truly worried about losing him. It was stupid, but knowing that made Castiel feel amazing. He had been afraid for the longest time that he needed Dean far more than Dean needed him and to know that Dean was just as invested in their relationship as he was made him reluctant to focus on the negative aspects, although there were quite a few of them. For now, all he wanted to do was bask in the fact that Dean was laying next him in his bed, there because he didn't want to be parted from Castiel.

With his body humming with happiness, Castiel had almost drifted off to sleep when he noticed Dean moving next to him. Before he could ask what the other boy was doing, a strong, muscular arm snaked around his waist as Dean pulled him close, his head resting against the side of Castiel's face.

"Good night, Dean," Castiel whispered, turning on his side so that their foreheads were touching.

"Night baby," Dean replied, his voice heavy with sleep.

Leaning forward slightly, Castiel then softly pressed his lips to Dean's before settling into the mattress, falling into a deep, restful sleep.


	18. Coming Clean

When Castiel woke up the next morning he was wrapped tightly in Dean's arms, his head resting on his chest.

Yawning, Castiel took a minute to gather his senses, looking up at Dean sleepily.

'God he's gorgeous,' Castiel thought as he soaked in every detail of Dean's face. Trailing his eyes downward, his gaze then landed on the strange tattoo located over the sleeping boy's heart.

Absentmindedly, Castiel reached his hand up, lightly tracing the ink with the tip on his finger.

"Morning, sweetheart," Dean huffed suddenly, not opening his eyes.

"Good morning, Dean," Castiel replied, rolling over to straddle him.

Castiel's action was enough to get Dean to look up at him, a cocky smile painted on his lips.

"I should sleep here more often," He teased before pulling Castiel down into a kiss.

Enthusiastically, Castiel reciprocated, rocking his hips against Dean's making him moan into his mouth.

Dean then ran both his hands down Castiel's back before pushing passed the elastic of his boxers, gripping both his ass cheeks firmly, his finger nails biting into Castiel's skin.

"Dean," Castiel breathed out, his dick rock hard in his pants.

"Take these off," Dean demanded, tugging at Castiel's pajamas.

Quickly, Castiel rolled off Dean, removing the fabric as he was instructed. He then lay flat on his back as Dean turned to the side, his hand finding Castiel's dick making him shout out in pleasure.

In order to keep Castiel from making any more noise, Dean quickly surged forward kissing him roughly.

"I need you to stay quiet for me baby, can you do that?" Dean asked, swiping his thumb over the head of Castiel's dick, making him bite his bottom lip to keep from moaning.

"Castiel, answer me," Dean ordered, his hand stopping mid-stroke.

"Yes, yes, I can. Please Dean, just don't stop," Castiel pleaded, his voice nothing more than a whisper.

"Fuck baby, I love it when you beg," Dean said, moving his hand down the length of Castiel's dick slowly.

"Please Dean…I need more," Castiel continued.

"Then tell me what you need and I'll give it to you," Dean replied, his voice completely wrecked.

"I need more than just this," Castiel said, bucking his hips, "I want to feel more than just your hand…I want to feel you inside me," He added, reaching over to massage Dean's crotch.

"That's not good enough, baby," Dean moaned, closing his eyes as Castiel continued to work at his erection.

"Fuck me, Dean please," Castiel begged, looking over at Dean with urgency.

He didn't know where such talk was coming from but he knew that he wanted to take the next step with Dean, despite all the ups and downs of their relationship. Castiel had never had any grand expectations about losing his virginity; all he wanted was for it to be with someone he truly cared about. And he was more than positive that even if everything fell apart the very next day, he wouldn't regret sleeping with Dean, especially giving his feelings for him.

Unfortunately for Castiel, however, his words brought an unreadable expression to Dean's face as his green eyes opened meeting Castiel's blue ones. For a split second, he was sure Dean was going to revert back to his usual asshole self and be gone before Castiel knew what hit him.

But suddenly, a smile, the most genuine smile Castiel had ever seen cross Dean's lips, appeared on his face as Dean leaned over to kiss him tenderly.

"Are you sure, gorgeous? There's no pressure," Dean said and if Castiel hadn't heard it with his own ears, he would have never believed Dean was cable of talking in such a way.

"I'm sure, Dean. I want you," Castiel confirmed wholeheartedly, "I can't explain how or why but I want you so bad."

"I want you too, Cas." Dean admitted, causing Castiel's stomach to fill with butterflies as he kissed him on the lips, this time with intensity.

"You have lube, right?" Dean asked suddenly, releasing Castiel from the kiss, looking down at him.

"I…um…no…," Castiel stammered.

"Damn it, Cas," Dean sighed, dropping his head to rest against Castiel's chest, "You're killing me."

"Forgive me, not all of us get as much action as you, jackass," Castiel teased, ruffling Dean's hair.

Just then, there was a knock at the door, causing both boys to jump.

"Cassie? Why is your door locked?" Anna asked.

"Cassie?" Dean questioned, raising his head to smirk at Castiel.

"Fuck you," Castiel hissed.

"Sorry, no lube," Dean shot back.

"Cassie, are you talking to yourself?" Anna called, knocking on the door a little louder.

"No! Just hold on, Anna. I'll be down stairs in just a sec," Castiel answered nervously.

"Okay, I just came to get the kitten. He's probably hungry and we have some old lunch meat I want to give him," Anna told her big brother.

"Gah! Why are all the women in your life so damn persistent?" Dean asked, laughing as he released Castiel.

"Castiel, what the heck are you doing in there?" Anna inquired, her tone growing more suspicious by the minute.

"Nothing! Just hold on!" Castiel gritted out, getting up to put his pants back on.

He was still half hard and extremely uncomfortable as he found the kitten lying on the floor at the foot of his bed.

"Come on little man, let's get you some food," Castiel said, picking up the kitten who cried a little but didn't struggle. "It's okay, buddy," He added, scratching the kitten's back.

Castiel then made his way to the door, holding the kitten in one hand and turning the knob with the other. Using his body to block Anna's view of his room, Castiel cracked open the door just enough to hand her the small animal.

"You're being weird…" Anna informed him, cuddling the kitten in her arms.

"Thanks?" Castiel replied, attempting to close the door in his little sister's face.

"Wait! Mom said she was coming to check on you as soon as she was done cleaning up the breakfast dishes," Anna added with a frown, "Just wanted to warn you, considering your acting squirrelly."

"Thanks for the heads up, little sis," Castiel said, leaning forward slightly to kiss Anna on the forehead.

Shaking her head, Anna then turned around, going back downstairs to feed the kitten. Passing her mother who was on her way up, Anna greeted her loudly, giving Castiel time to step completely out of his room and close the door behind him.

He only had to wait a few seconds before his mother reached the hall, wasting little time pulling him into her arms.

"How are you feeling, sweetie? What on earth happened?" She asked as Castiel hugged her back.

"Honestly, I feel pretty rough," Castiel told his mother and it wasn't a lie.

His head was killing him and every part of his body ached, not to mention he was exhausted.

"As far as what happened, I slipped on a puddle of water on the locker room floor…," He added, releasing her.

"Oh, my poor baby," Mrs. Novak cooed, looking at Castiel with a worried expression.

"I'm okay, though momma. I just need to rest," Castiel assured her.

"I don't know, darling. I think your father and I should stay home to take care of you," Mrs. Novak told him.

"Momma, seriously I'm fine. Gabriel can take care of me," Castiel promised.

"Are you sure?" Mrs. Novak asked.

"I'm positive, momma," Castiel confirmed.

"Okay, honey," Mrs. Novak conceded reluctantly, "Do you want to stay home today? You look like you need to go back to bed," She added, checking his forehead for a fever out of instinct.

"Yes ma'am, I do," Castiel agreed, not wanting any part of school that day.

"I'll call the nurse and tell her you'll be absent today. Go get some rest and I'll see you Saturday," Mrs. Novak said, kissing Castiel forehead before giving him another hug.

"Have a great trip, momma. Be safe, I love you," Castiel replied, squeezing his mother tight.

"I love you too, son," Mrs. Novak answered, letting him go so he could get some rest.

Watching her head back down the stairs, Castiel didn't open his door until his mother was completely out of sight.

Then, moving quickly, he ducked back inside his room before locking his door.

Looking over at his bed, Castiel immediately noticed that Dean was lying on his back with his eyes closed, snuggled up under the blanket Castiel kept on his mattress.

"Really, sleepyhead?" Castiel asked, joining him.

"Sorry, baby," Dean mumbled, reaching over to pull Castiel toward him.

Laying his head on Dean's chest, Castiel wrapped his arm around his waist, settling in.

"I take it you're ditching school?" Castiel questioned, looking up at Dean.

However, he received no reply from the boy beneath him who within seconds had fallen back asleep.

'So much for losing my V card,' Castiel thought, resisting the urge to laugh.

Sighing, Castiel then got comfortable, not taking long to follow Dean's lead.

**XXXX**

At 1:00 p.m. Castiel woke up to Dean kissing his cheek.

"What time is it?" Castiel asked, trying to fight the sleep that still tugged at his eyelids.

"It's already one," Dean informed him as he untangled himself from Castiel to get up.

"Where are you going?" Castiel questioned, noticing Dean putting on his shirt which he had thrown on the floor the previous night.

"I've gotta piss, dude, you wanna join me?" Dean inquired irritably, raising an eyebrow at Castiel.

"I was just wondering, ya cranky douche bag," Castiel shot back, sitting up to stretch.

"Bite me, Cas," Dean teased, his mood lighting up a bit.

"Your wish is my command," Castiel replied, getting up to walk over to Dean before sinking his teeth into the green eyed boy's neck.

"Mmm, just what I need, another bruise," Dean moaned, his hands finding Castiel's hips.

"Please, don't act like you don't enjoy it," Castiel teased, kissing the spot he had just bitten before pulling back to look at Dean's face.

Studying him closely, Castiel noticed that Dean's cuts were beginning to scab over, his bruises dark and swollen.

"Dean, about last night…I'm really sorry," Castiel said, running his hand over the bruise he had made on Dean's jaw.

"I told you, Cas, it's fine," Dean replied, releasing him so he could unlock Castiel's door.

"You know I didn't mean what I said, right? There's no way I could ever hate you," Castiel blurted out, before Dean could leave to go to the bathroom.

Turning around slightly, Dean looked at him for a moment, and Castiel could tell his mind was racing.

"Don't worry about it. Besides, I wouldn't blame you if you did," Dean said, shrugging his shoulders.

"Don't say that, Dean. I don't hate you, okay? Do you understand me?" Castiel asked, walking forward to grab Dean's chin gently, forcing him to make eye contact.

As he waited for a reply, Castiel noticed a hint of a smile forming on the corner of Dean's lips as he stared at Castiel.

"Do you understand?" Castiel repeated firmly.

"I got it, Cas," Dean answered finally, following up by surging forward to press their lips together.

He then ran his tongue along Castiel's bottom lip before taking it between his teeth and tugging gently.

"It's actually quite disturbing how much I enjoy that," Castiel confessed, referring to Dean's action.

"Well, while I'm always happy to please, do you think I can go take a leak now?" Dean asked, breaking up the tension in the room.

"Get going," Castiel said, smacking Dean on the ass as he left the room.

Sighing, Castiel then got back into bed, waiting for Dean to return.

Turning on his TV, Castiel had just signed in to his Netflix account when Dean re-entered the room, not bothering to close the door behind him.

"I'm starving," Dean said, patting his stomach, "I'm gonna go get us some grub, burgers okay?"

"Sure," Castiel replied, rolling over to grab his wallet from his bedside table.

"Hey, my treat," Dean told him, refusing to take the ten dollar bill Castiel was holding out to him.

"Thanks babe," Castiel said, smiling as he put his money away.

"Did you just call me babe?" Dean asked, smirking at him from across the room.

"Yeah…Why? Do you not like it?" Castiel questioned nervously.

Dean always called him cute little nicknames and Castiel wanted to do the same but had been too shy to try any out until that moment.

"I actually dig it," Dean confessed, "Say it again," He added, making Castiel smile.

"You're a goofball, babe," Castiel obliged.

"Yeah, well you're totally into this goofball," Dean shot back and Castiel couldn't even argue.

"I'll take a double bacon cheeseburger with no mayo," Castiel said, changing the subject.

"That's my boy," Dean laughed, proud of Castiel's order.

"Move your ass, Winchester, you're not the only one who's hungry," Castiel teased, shewing Dean out the door.

"Yes, your highness," Dean jeered, taking a bow, "I'll be right back," He added before leaving the room.

While Dean was gone, Castiel decided to watch Thor on Netflix to pass the time. However, even though he wanted to pay attention, he felt himself nodding off not even ten minutes into the movie.

It wasn't until he felt Dean climbing into his bed that he jerked awake, startled at the sudden movement.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to scare you," Dean apologized, sitting cross-legged next to him as he reached into the paper bag he had sat in front of him to grab Castiel's burger.

"It's all good," Castiel yawned, moving to lean his back against the headboard of his bed.

Taking the burger from Dean, he then quickly peeled back the plastic it was wrapped in and began eating.

"What are we watching?" Dean asked, unwrapping his burger before taking a huge bite.

"I was watching Thor but we can find something else, I've seen it a thousand times," Castiel said, handing Dean the remote with his empty hand.

Searching through the options, it didn't take long for Dean to stumble upon Sons of Anarchy, making Castiel groan as he started the first episode of season one.

"Seriously? Do we have to watch this?" Castiel inquired, tossing a stray pickle in his mouth that had almost fallen out of his burger.

"Quit your bitching," Dean barked, turning up the volume, "Have you ever seen an episode?"

"No," Castiel sighed, scooting over to sit closer to Dean.

"Then shut up and give it a try," Dean demanded.

"Fine!" Castiel whined, continuing to eat his burger as he focused on the dialogue that was happening on the screen.

**XXXX**

"Riding through this world all alone," Castiel and Dean sang as the opening credits of Sons of Anarchy played on the television, "God takes your soul; you're on your own."

Two burgers and five episodes later, Castiel, even though he hated to admit it, was hooked on the show, needing to know more.

"Dude, I'm in love with Jax Teller," Castiel said when the theme song was over, shooting Dean a sideways glance.

"Trust me baby, that will change," Dean told him, as the episode began.

"Aw, don't tell me that," Castiel pouted.

"Besides, I'm the only asshole you're allowed to be infatuated with," Dean said, smiling over at Castiel.

"Is that so?" Castiel challenged, pausing the show so he wouldn't miss anything while he was messing with Dean.

"Yeah, it is," Dean confirmed, looking Castiel in the eyes, not backing down.

Castiel was just about to reply with a sarcastic comment when he heard Gabriel calling his name from downstairs. Looking over his shoulder at the clock on his bedside table, Castiel realized how late it was, jumping up out of bed to run to his door, shutting it quickly and turning the lock.

"Shit," Castiel whispered.

"Don't freak out, I've got this," Dean said, getting up from his spot on the bed and putting on his jeans.

Before Castiel knew what was happening, Dean had made his way across the room and halfway out the window, causing Castiel's heart to nearly pound out of his chest.

"Jesus, Dean. You'll kill yourself," Castiel said, rushing over to grab Dean's right arm.

"Don't sweat it baby. You think this is the first window I've had to climb out of?" Dean asked, laughing when Castiel glared at him.

"You're an asshole," Castiel hissed before Dean leaned back into his room, pressing a kiss to his lips.

"And it turns you on," Dean retorted, straddling the window seal as Castiel wrapped his arms around his neck.

"I wish you didn't have to leave," Castiel whined, ignoring Dean's last comment.

"Here," Dean said, fishing his cell out of his pocket with his left hand, "Give me your number so we can talk," He added, hearing Gabriel knocking on Castiel's locked door.

"Castiel!" Gabriel called.

Quickly, Castiel grabbed Dean's phone entering his number as fast as possible and saving it under Cas.

He then handed the phone back to Dean who stowed it away, rolling his eyes as Gabriel continued to knock on Castiel's door.

"I'll text later tonight…Bye beautiful," Dean cooed, kissing Castiel's neck.

"Bye, Dean, please be careful," Castiel whispered, stepping back to give him room.

With a sly wink, Dean then began to climb down the side of Castiel's house with caution.

Castiel held his breath as Dean, much to his surprise, gracefully descended the wall in less than no time.

When he was finally firmly on the ground, he gave Castiel a small wave before cutting across his lawn and disappearing through his front door.

Letting out a deep, calming breath, Castiel shut his widow before hurrying over to his door, opening it to find a very agitated Gabriel standing in the hallway with his arms crossed.

"Castiel Joseph Novak," Gabriel scolded, making Castiel's jaw drop, "Oh that's right, I middle named you, dude," He added, entering the room.

"I'm sorry it took me so long to answer the door, I was sleeping," Castiel lied.

"Bull-fucking-shit," Gabriel shot back.

"Can I help you with something, big brother?" Castiel asked, choosing to not comment on Gabriel's reluctance to believe him.

"Why yes you can, little brother," Gabriel said sweetly, "How about you start by telling me who you're hiding in here."

"I'm doing nothing of the sort," Castiel replied, acting as though he were appalled that Gabriel could ever think such a thing.

"We'll see about that," Gabriel said, going over to look in Castiel's closet.

Finding nothing, he then got on his hands and knees, searching under the bed for any sign of another human being.

"I heard you talking to someone, you little hussy, who was it and where did he go?" Gabriel asked, getting up when he failed to locate anyone.

"I was just lying in bed, watching TV. I'm hurt that you think I'm such a tramp," Castiel teased, dramatically falling onto his mattress.

"Dude, if it's the last thing I do, I'm going to find out who the asshole is that you're seeing," Gabriel promised, "And when I do, I'm going to choke the life out of him for screwing with my little brother."

"Gabriel…," Castiel sighed, sitting up to look at his brother.

"Please tell me what's going on with you, buddy, I just want to help," Gabriel pleaded, taking a seat next to him on the bed.

Biting his bottom lip nervously, Castiel debated what to do internally for a moment before deciding to finally come clean.

"Alright, I'll tell you who I've been seeing but there are some conditions I need you to agree to first," Castiel said.

"That doesn't sound ominous," Gabriel huffed sarcastically in response, "Go ahead…"

"One, you have to promise not to go bat shit crazy and try to kill him as soon as I tell you who it is," Castiel told him, making Gabriel raise an eyebrow in suspicion.

"I'll do my best, what else?" Gabriel asked.

"And the second and final condition is you have to promise not to tell anyone, under any circumstances, who I'm involved with," Castiel said, waiting for his big brother's answer.

"Who the fuck are you fooling around with? A member of the secret service?" Gabriel questioned, laughing at Castiel's paranoia.

"I'm serious, Gabriel, promise me," Castiel ordered, holding out his hand for them to shake on it.

"Fine, fine, I promise," Gabriel agreed, taking Castiel's hand.

Once he had his big brother's word, Castiel took a deep breath in throw his nose, trying to think of the best way to deliver the news.

"Holy shit, Cassie, spit it out," Gabriel said nervously.

"It's Dean Winchester," Castiel mumbled, letting the words tumble out of his mouth.

"HA! I'm sorry, for a minute there I thought you said Dean Winchester," Gabriel laughed, slapping his knee.

"Gabriel, I've been seeing Dean for about two and a half months now…And honestly, I'm hopelessly in love with him," Castiel explained somberly, watching as Gabriel's smile faded from his lips.

"That motherfucker," Gabriel raged, jumping up from Castiel's bed to head for the door.

"Gabriel, you promised!" Castiel yelled, following him to the hallway.

"Is he responsible for all of the injuries you've been coming home with?" Gabriel asked, his face red with anger.

"Yes, but some of them aren't what you think…," Castiel confessed, wanting to be completely honest with his brother.

"Jesus Christ, Castiel," Gabriel sighed, rubbing his eyes wearily.

"I know this is a lot of information to take in, Gabe, but please trust me when I tell you I've got it handled," Castiel told him.

"You've got in handled? Are you fucking kidding me? You're covered in bruises because of that lowlife piece of shit and yet you honestly think you're in love with him? That's far from having it handled, little brother," Gabriel spat, not worried about hurting Castiel's feeling.

"It's more complicated than that!" Castiel yelled.

"No, you only wish it was!" Gabriel shouted back.

"Guys? What's going on?" Anna asked, suddenly popping her head out of her room.

"Go back and play with your kitten, baby sis," Gabriel said, lowering his voice, "Cassie and I are just having a little disagreement."

"It's okay, Anna," Castiel added, not wanting his little sister to worry.

"Please don't fight," Anna begged, "You guys never fight…"

"Don't worry, kid, Cassie and I are going to work it out," Gabriel promised, and with that Anna shut her door as she was told.

"I know you think I'm being naive, and honestly you're probably right, but Dean isn't as bad as you think he is, Gabe," Castiel said, looking over at his older brother when Anna was out of earshot.

"He's hurting you, Castiel, physically and emotionally…," Gabriel told him, trying not to get mad again.

"He's scared, Gabe…And he doesn't know the first thing about affection…all he knows is anger and how to avoid dealing with his problems. But he's learning, he's actually starting to tell me how he feels," Castiel explained, hoping Gabriel would hear him out.

"I can't stand by and watch you give everything to that asshole when there is a chance he's not going to give you anything in return," Gabriel said, putting his hands on Castiel's shoulders, "I love you, little brother, I never want to see you get hurt."

"I love you too, Gabriel, and I appreciate what you're saying but you have to let me make my own decisions. I know there is a risk Dean will turn out to be the terrible person everybody thinks he is but I don't believe it…and I won't give up on him," Castiel stated with determination.

"This is so fucked up," Gabriel huffed, releasing his little brother, "I don't have a clue what you see in him but I hear you…Just know that this is most likely going to end with me throttling him."

"I can't argue with that but that doesn't change the fact that I still want to fight for him," Castiel said, offering Gabriel a small smile.

"Lord help me," Gabriel sighed, "How about I grab a bottle of Jack Daniel's and you tell me how the hell this even happened?"

"Sounds good to me," Castiel agreed, hugging his big brother.

"I still think you should just let me kill him," Gabriel mumbled, patting Castiel on the back.

"Maybe later, big brother," Castiel teased, letting him go so they could head downstairs.


	19. The Turning of the Tide

Wednesday morning, Castiel woke up to his alarm clock blaring in his ears.

Stretching, he forced himself to get out of bed, exhausted from staying up late the night before trying to explain to Gabriel how he and Dean had started their relationship. It proved to be quite difficult for Castiel, considering he had to leave out many key details for his brother's sake and his. The last thing he needed was Gabriel knowing explicitly just how kinky he really was and that Dean and he had started their fling off by addressing that fact.

Needless to say, Gabriel had a hard time understanding how Castiel could have fallen for such an asshole like Dean, especially after all the years of torture he had put him through. In the end, Castiel found himself conceding, unable to explain his infatuation with Dean in a way that didn't make him sound crazy.

But Gabriel and his conversation wasn't the only thing that had kept Castiel up. His sleep deprivation was also due partly to the fact that Dean had been texting him on and off the whole night. And to add to his plethora of distractions, Castiel's nerves were rattled at the thought of the green eyed boy finding out that he had told his brother about their relationship.

So now, four short hours of sleep later, Castiel had to make himself go to school, not knowing which Dean he would be dealing with that day. The mere idea of Dean being a jerk to him at school was enough to give Castiel an annoying anxious feeling at the pit of his stomach. He was almost positive he would go crazy if the boy who had been sending him cute, funny text messages all night suddenly decided to be mean to him the very next day. And the worst part was Castiel knew all too well that it was not out of the realm of possibility.

Pushing his troublesome thoughts to the side, Castiel took a deep breath and made himself get going, grabbing his clothes and quickly showered before heading downstairs for breakfast.

"Hey there, Romeo," Gabriel greeted him as he sat down at the kitchen table.

"Romeo?" Anna asked from her seat as her kitten furiously lapped at a bowl of milk she had sat on the floor for him.

"Don't worry about it, squirt," Castiel grumbled, shooting Gabriel a dirty look.

Smiling slyly, Gabriel shrugged his shoulders when Anna caught his eye, handing her a plate of pancakes.

"Does this have anything do to with what you were fighting about last night?" Anna questioned, taking the food.

"Can I have a couple of those?" Castiel asked, pointing at Anna's pancakes, hoping his little sister would get the hint.

"Sure lover boy," Gabriel said, turning back to the skillet he had on the stove to make Castiel some breakfast.

"On second thought, I don't want to know," Anna sighed, shaking her head before taking a bite of her pancakes.

"Smart girl," Castiel huffed, glaring at the back of his big brother's head the entire time he was cooking.

When Castiel's pancakes were finally done, Gabriel joined his siblings at the table, eating a bowl of cereal and dropping all of his jokes geared toward Castiel for the time being.

Once they had all finished their breakfast, Anna and Castiel then quickly grabbed their backpacks and headed out the car so Gabriel could take them to school.

The drive was short and uneventful but Castiel was happy to be out of the house, practically jumping out of the Prius when he arrived on campus, saying goodbye to Gabriel and Anna before going to find Pamela.

It didn't take him long to locate her, considering all he had to do was going to their usual meeting spot.

"Oh my God," Pamela said, when Castiel made it to their lockers.

"What?" Castiel asked, his eyebrows shooting up in confusion.

"There is a rumor going around that Dean knocked you out on Monday and when I called, seventeen times I might add, to check on you I get no answer," Pamela scolded, crossing her arms, "Do you know how worried I've been?"

"I'm sorry, Pammy…I was a little out of it," Castiel said, having no real excuse for ignoring Pamela's calls except for the fact that he didn't want to hear her say I told you so.

"So he did hit you?" Pamela questioned, Castiel witnessing her demeanor change from calm to infuriated.

"We worked it out…Kind of," Castiel told her defensively.

"Okay, that's it. I tried to be supportive but I can't anymore. I hate him, Castiel, like a lot," Pamela admitted, making Castiel sigh.

"Pammy," Castiel said as the bell for homeroom rang.

"And don't you dare tell me he's misunderstood or actually a sweet guy. He's a dick and it kills me that you like," Pamela stated, walking away.

"I'm honestly really sorry I didn't answer your calls. I shouldn't have let you worry like that," Castiel apologized, taking her by the hand.

"I'm not mad at you, Cassie…I just want you to take care of yourself," Pamela sighed as they reached their homeroom.

Sitting in their seats, Castiel was at a loss for words, feeling terrible for treating his best friend so poorly.

When the bell rang five minutes later, he was deep in thought about how he could make it up to Pamela when he heard a voice come over the loud speaker.

"Castiel Novak, Dean Winchester and Michael Whitmore, please come to the principal's office," The voice said, causing Castiel's heart to beat rapidly.

Taking a deep breath, he looked over at Pamela who shot him a nervous glance before he got up. Forcing himself to move, Castiel then left the room, wondering what he could have possibly done to get called in.

Walking quickly to the principal's office, Castiel arrived to see Dean and Michael already in the waiting room, sitting next to each other.

"Did you snitch on us, Novak?" Michael asked when he laid eyes on Castiel, getting up from his chair.

"Fuck off, Whitmore, you aren't worth ratting out," Castiel spat back as Dean stood up as well, positioning himself between Michael and him.

"Cool it, both of you," Dean ordered and Michael immediately obeying.

"Boys, the principal will see you now," Castiel heard the principal's secretary say before he could continue his argument with Michael.

Filing in one at time, the three of them entered the principal's office, sitting down in the chairs lined up in front of his desk.

"It's come to my attention that an altercation between you three boys ended with Mr. Novak sustaining a concussion on Monday," Mr. Kirkpatrick said, looking at the three of them over the bridge of his glasses.

"It seems that you've stumbled upon some misguided information, Mr. K," Michael piped up, making Castiel shoot him a dirty look.

"Is that so, Mr. Novak?" Mr. Kirkpatrick asked, looking at Castiel.

"Yes sir, I think there has been a misunderstanding," Castiel lied, for Dean's sake.

"And what do you have to say about this, Mr. Winchester?" Mr. Kirkpatrick questioned, turning his attention to Dean who had been silent since they entered the room.

"Like Novak said, just a big misunderstanding," Dean stated, trying and failing to sound convincing.

"Gentlemen, I obviously can't make you confess, but I have several eyewitnesses that say you three were fighting on school grounds which is strictly forbidden," Mr. Kirkpatrick informed them, shaking his head, "Consider this a warning, any further trouble and y'all will be suspended."

"Yes sir," Dean said, Castiel and Michael following with a chorus of the same agreement.

"Now, the three of you, get back to class," Mr. Kirkpatrick ordered.

Wasting little time, Castiel, Dean and Michael complied, practically running out the door.

Once they were clear of the principal's office and in the hall, Michael grabbed Castiel by the arm, forcing him to face him.

"Did your punk ass little friend tattle on us?" Michael questioned angrily.

"Gadreel didn't say anything, Michael, you weren't exactly discreet when you were kicking my ass on Monday," Castiel shot back, pulling his arm out of Michael's grasp.

"My bad, Novak, how about I discreetly kick your ass right now?" Michael asked, pushing Castiel.

"Enough, Whitmore," Dean interjected before Castiel could reply, shocking them both.

"Cap," Michael began but Dean didn't let him finish.

"Get to class, now, or you'll be the one getting his ass kicked," Dean demanded, staring Michael down.

"Okay, man, I'm going," Michael agreed, scowling at Castiel before heading down the hall.

"Thanks Dean," Castiel said, once Michael was out of sight.

"Come with me," Dean ordered, taking Castiel by the wrist and leading him to the nearest janitor's closest.

As Dean shoved him inside, Castiel's mind filled with dread. All he could think about was the fact that Dean might be pissed at him again for some unknown reason and that the janitor's closest was the best place for Dean to smack him around without anyone seeing.

Standing there nervously, Castiel watched as Dean shut the door behind them, flinching slightly when he turned and pushed Castiel against the wall.

Raising his hands to defend himself, Castiel was about to tell Dean to back off when he felt him grab him by the wrists, lifting them above his head to hold them in place. In the end, Castiel didn't have time to say anything before Dean hastily pressed their lips together.

"Whoa," Castiel whispered after a few minutes, panting heavily because of the long, passionate kiss Dean and he had just shared.

"You didn't have to lie for me," Dean said, pulling back to look Castiel in the eyes.

As he did so, Castiel felt Dean intertwine their fingers, not releasing him from their current position.

"I didn't want you to get in trouble," Castiel replied simply, shrugging his shoulders.

"You're fucking incredible," Dean stated, smiling brightly.

"It's no big deal," Castiel told him as the bell for first period rang.

"Actually, it is, Cas," Dean said, kissing him one more time, "Thank you, seriously."

"You're welcome, Dean," Castiel replied, unable to stop a smile from spreading arcoss his face.

"Do you by any chance want to skip P.E.? We could stay in here and make out?" Dean asked, pressing their bodies together.

"Do I want to? Absolutely…," Castiel said seductively, bucking his hips.

"But?" Dean questioned, knowing there was a catch.

"I can't skip class, babe. My brother would skin me alive when he found out," Castiel told him, wishing he didn't have to say no. If it wasn't for the fact that the school was obligated to call the parents of the students that ditched class, Castiel would have been totally down for staying right where he was.

"I swear, it's like even though nobody in your family knows about us, they still miraculously find ways to stop me from having my way with you," Dean teased, releasing Castiel so he could run his right hand down the front of Castiel's body, not stopping until he was rubbing his palm against his crotch.

"Trust me, the fact that my family has super psychic cock blocking abilities doesn't make me happy either," Castiel laughed nervously, teetering back and forth on whether or not he should tell Dean about Gabriel's knowledge of their relationship.

"Oh well, can't blame a guy for trying," Dean joked, removing his hand, much to Castiel displeasure before backing up to give him space.

"I changed my mind," Castiel whined, his dick aching from the loss of contact.

"I'll see you in PE, baby," Dean said, a wicked smile on his face as cautiously opening the door.

Rooted to the spot, Castiel watched as Dean disappeared, cursing him mentally.

'Well, it looks like I'll be deal with happy Dean today,' Castiel thought, waiting a moment in the dark closest to let his body calm down from everything that had just happened.

Shaking his head, he then followed suit, exiting the closet with apprehension.

Once he was sure no one was paying attention, Castiel made his way to PE, and for the first time, he was actually excited about attending the class.

**XXXX**

For the next two days, Dean's happy demeanor toward Castiel didn't change. Dean spoke to him every day at school (although it wasn't publicly) and work and texted him constantly when they were apart.

By Friday, Castiel was riding a wave of pure ecstasy, not wanting to touch the fact that Dean's approach toward their relationship had seemly changed overnight with a ten foot pole. For the time being he was content, absolutely loving that Dean was treating him like they were actually seeing each other, rather than Castiel just being some fling on the side.

However, Castiel excitement was not contagious and his best friend failed to see how Dean's sudden revelation was a good thing.

That was why, when she was driving Castiel home Friday after school Pamela refused to acknowledge Dean' existence and focused on her own agenda.

"You're coming to Madison's party tonight, right?" She asked, not five minutes into their trip.

Madison, who was the co-captain of the cheerleading squad and significantly nicer than Crystal, always throw a huge birthday party each year at her parent's lake house and each year Pamela asked Castiel to go. Not being a fan of parties or hanging out with people he didn't like, Castiel always ended up turning Pamela down but that never stopped her from trying.

"I wasn't invited, Pammy," Castile said, rolling his eyes at his best friend's question.

"Nobody is invited, Castiel, its open invitation," Pamela told him.

"Pamela, for the last three years, every March you have asked me to go to this party and every time I say no," Castiel huffed, looking over at her.

"Which is why you have to say yes this time! This is literally the last time I will ever get to ask you to go," Pamela explained, bring the realization that they were seniors and it really was his last opportunity attend the party to Castiel's attention.

"Shit," He sighed, accepting defeat.

"Yes! I'll pick you up at seven. Oh, and wear that nice black button down shirt and your darker pair of jeans," Pamela told him as she pulled up to his house.

"Yes dear," Castiel agreed, getting out of the car.

"See you tonight boo boo," Pamela called as Castiel shut the door.

After waving goodbye, Castiel quickly entered his house, going straight upstairs so he could do his homework.

If he had all of his academic responsibilities taken care of it would be harder for Gabriel to deny him permission to go to Madison's party.

Selfishly, Castiel had agreed to go with Pamela not only because it truly was his last chance to attend one of Madison's parties but also because he secretly hoped to see Dean.

His current predicament was definitely one of those times Castiel found himself shocked at the things he was willing to do to spend time with Dean.

Sighing, he focused his mind on his history homework, counting down the minutes until the party.

**XXXX**

"Whoa, whoa, whoa," Gabriel said holding up his hands.

He had been home from work no more than five minutes and was sitting in the living room on the couch when Castiel found him and began begging to go to Madison's party.

"Please, Gabe?" Castiel asked, channeling his inner Sam Winchester and pulling out the best puppy dog face he could manage.

"Dude, are you serious? A party? You don't even like parties. You just want to go so you can play grab ass with Dean, huh?" Gabriel questioned, narrowing his eyes at Castiel.

"Man, just let me go, please?" Castiel pleaded, ignoring Gabriel's comment.

"I don't know...did you finish your homework?" Gabriel asked.

"I've got all my homework done and I did both of our chores," Castiel stated, dressed in the outfit that Pamela had told him to wear.

He was expecting her any minute and was desperate for Gabriel's answer.

"Do I look like the fun loving big brother that would just let you run off to a party in the middle of nowhere with no adult supervision just because you took out the trash for me?" Gabriel inquired, folding his arms over his chest.

"Actually, yes…," Castiel laughed, hearing the doorbell ring.

"Well, you're right," Gabriel conceded, a huge smile forming on his lips. "Be home by…eh, let's make it one. Anna is spending the night at her friend's house and I'm probably going to poker night with the guys so you will most likely have the casa to yourself tonight," He added as Castiel went to the door.

"Thanks big brother, did I mention you rock?" Castiel asked, opening the door to reveal Pamela, who standing on the front porch wearing a short red dress. She had her hair curled and her makeup done to perfection and if Castiel were in the less bit attracted to women, he probably would have popped a boner at how good his best friend looked.

"You did, but you should continue to say it," Gabriel said, looking over at the two of them. "Hot damn, girl, you look good!" He added, making Pamela smile, "Praise the lord you're eighteen or I'd feel like an epic creep right now.

"You're still an epic creep," Castiel informed him as he headed out the door, closing it behind him.

"Let's do this, best friend," Pamela said, taking Castiel by the hand.

Once they were in the car, Pamela put Madison's address in her GPS and started off down the road.

It was an hour and a half drive to the lake house which was located just outside of town. Passing the time during their trip, Castiel and Pamela talked about who would possibly show up to the party that night and occasionally sang along to songs they knew on the radio.

When they finally arrived at their destination, Pamela had to drive around for a while trying to find a parking spot, eventually coming across one a little bit down the road.

"This should be interesting," Castiel sighed as he and Pamela hiked back to the house from the car.

"Would you at least try to have fun before you start whining?" Pamela asked, "Look on the bright side, you'll get to see that asshole you like so much."

"You're such a hater," Castiel taunted as they reached the front porch.

Madison's lake house was a huge, two story building with a Victorian design, and painted white with blue trim.

Looking at it carefully, Castiel immediately realized that his house could easily have fit inside the gigantic structure at least twice.

"Ready to see how the other side lives?" Pamela asked as she turned the door knob.

"A night of hormonal teenagers, underage drinking and no authority figures…bring it on," Castiel teased, ignoring Pamela's dirty look as they walked through the door.

Once inside, the sound of music filled Castiel's ears as he saw tons of kids standing around talking and dancing.

"Pamela! You made it!" Castiel heard none other than Madison yell as she made her way over to them.

"Happy birthday!" Pamela shouted over the music, giving the strawberry blonde a hug.

"Thank you! And Castiel, I'm so glad you decided to come this year," Madison said, turning her attention to him.

"Me too, happy birthday," Castiel told her, offering Madison a smile.

"Thanks! Well, drinks are in the kitchen, please help yourself," Madison informed them before moving on to another group of people who had just showed up.

"It's time to get are buzz on, best friend," Pamela said, leading Castiel into the kitchen.

Reaching their destination, Pamela wasted little time mixing them drinks, combining raspberry vodka with Pepsi.

"I'm not too sure about this," Castiel piped up. "I'm getting tipsy just smelling this," He added, taking the concoction Pamela was handing him.

"Drink the damn alcohol and come dance with me!" Pamela demanded before manhandling him back into the living room.

At first, Castiel wasn't too crazy about dancing. Despite the fact that there were a ton of people doing it, he still felt awkward. But by the time he was done with two of the drinks Pamela had made him, he had no qualms about shaking it with his best friend.

"Okay, maybe this isn't going to be such a terrible night," Castiel confessed after the third song he and Pamela had danced to ended.

"See! What did I tell you? You're having fun and even your super-secret squeeze can't keep his eyes off you," Pamela said, making Castiel turn around as she pointed over his shoulder.

It didn't take long for him to spot Dean, who was leaning against the wall near the bottom of the stairs, a beer bottle in his right hand with his eyes glued to Castiel. Crystal and a couple of her friends were circled around him, but it was clear that Dean was paying them no attention.

"Has he been staring over here the entire time we've been dancing?" Castiel asked, looking back to his best friend, completely bewildered.

"Pretty much, yeah," Pamela confirmed.

"And you're just now saying something?" Castiel questioned, giving her a "what the hell" look.

"Oh, shut up. We were having fun and I could care less about Dean Winchester oogiling your ass," Pamela said, grabbing his hand to lead him back to the kitchen for the third time.

"Yeah, yeah whatever," Castiel scoffed as Pamela started to make them both another drink.

He had just leaned over the counter that she was working on when he heard someone call his name.

Turning around, Castiel caught sight of James, the boy from Andy's Auto Parts.

"James, hi!" Castiel said, smiling at the blonde haired boy.

"Hey, whoa, who's the hottie and why are you not introducing him to your best friend?" Pamela interjected, handing Castiel his drink.

"James, this is my best friend Pamela, Pamela, this is James. I met him at Andy's in Huntsville when I was picking up a part for Bobby," Castiel explained, introducing the two.

"Nice to meet you, handsome," Pamela said, making James smile.

"The pleasure is all mine, gorgeous," James flirted and it made Castiel realize that it was just his nature.

"What are you doing here?" Castiel inquired as they all collectively started walking back to the living room.

"Believe it or not, Madison is my cousin," James explained when they were back on the dance floor.

"Well, now that we've established it's a small world, I think we should dance," Pamela said as Loud by T. Mills started to play.

"Why not? You in Castiel?" James asked, smiling mischievously.

"Sure, why the hell not?" Castiel agreed, allowing James to grab him by the hips as Pamela did her little white girl dance next to them.

James, wasting little time on making a move, was just about to pull Castiel closer when he was knocked to the side by Dean who forcefully ran into him with his shoulder as he was walking by.

"Watch where you're going," Dean barked, getting in James' face.

"Dean, don't," Castiel said as Pamela and he stepped between them.

"You ran into me, jackass," James challenged, not backing down.

"Dean, please," Castiel begged, restraining himself from reaching out to gently push Dean back.

Yielding to Castiel's pleas, Dean shot James a dirty look before heading off to the kitchen without a word, no doubt to get another beer.

"So much drama with that one," Pamela sighed, immediately going back to dancing.

"I'm sorry Castiel," James said, leaning forward so Castiel could hear him over the music.

"Why?" Castiel asked, confused about James' meaning.

"I didn't mean to step on any toes. I should have known from the night we met that Captain Douche Bag was your boyfriend," James explained.

Laughing, Castiel shook his head, patting James on the shoulder.

"You'll be surprised to find out that according to Captain Douche Bag, he's actually not my boyfriend," Castiel informed him.

"But you're not available?" James asked.

"Right…," Castiel said, "And I'm sorry if I gave off the vibe that I was...I should have made it clear..."

"It's okay, Castiel. I get it…I just hope he makes you happy," James told him, giving Castiel a genuine smile.

"He does…and thanks for being so understanding," Castiel replied, smiling back. "Do you still want to dance?" He added hopefully.

"I'm game," James agreed, putting his hands back on Castiel's hips.

Finishing his drink, Castiel sat his cup down on the coffee table before beginning to dance with James and Pamela.

Extremely buzzed, Castiel quickly forgot about James and Dean's altercation as he moved his body to the beat, laughing at Pamela who had absolutely no skill.

As the song continued, Castiel turned his back to James, grinding against him to the rhythm of the song, hearing Pamela making a comment about how alcohol made her best friend a dirty slut.

"Even knowing you're with that asshole jock, I'm still glad I ran into you tonight," James whispered in Castiel's ear, resting his hands on his sides.

However, before Castiel could answer him, he felt someone grab his arm, tugging him away from James.

"What the fuck, Michael?" Castiel yelled, realizing who was interrupting them.

"I'm not going to stand here and watch you and your faggot boyfriend dry hump each other," Michael raged, pushing Castiel.

Losing his temper and with the help of the alcohol in his system, Castiel didn't think twice about tackling Michael to the ground in response to his rude comment.

Before Michael knew what was going on, Castiel was raining down punches on him not stopping until he felt James pulling him away.

Soon, Uriel and Balthazar showed up, holding Michael back as Madison appeared, stepping between the two of them.

"I will not tolerate fighting at my party, both of you better knock it off or you can leave," Madison scolded, her eyes on Michael the entire time.

"You'll pay for this, faggot," Castiel heard Michael threaten as James let him go so Pamela could steer him toward the stairs.

"Let's put some distance between you and Mr. Congeniality," She whispered in his ear, practically dragging him up to the second story of the house, James right behind them.

Once they were upstairs, Pamela quickly found the closest bathroom, herding both boys in before locking the door.

The bathroom, which was twice the size of any bathroom Castiel had ever seen, was painted sky blue and had a walk in shower located at the end of it with a counter on the left wall that housed two sinks. The mirror that was above the faucets reached from the ceiling to about waist level on Castiel as he turned to look at himself, surprised he had just come out of a fight with no bruises.

"I should get you drunk more often," Pamela said, scooting passed Castiel who had turned to sit on the counter and around James who had taken a seat on the edge of the bathtub, to grab a couple of tissues to wipe the blood off her best friend's knuckles.

"Yeah, that was great Castiel," James chimed in right before someone started banging on the door.

"I'm afraid this bathroom is occupied," Pamela shouted sarcastically, "I suggest you find a bush."

"Pamela, stop being a bitch and open the door," Dean ordered from the other side of the cedar wood.

Without hesitation, Castiel hopped off the counter, letting Dean into the bathroom before locking the door again.

"Hey there, my little brawler," Dean said as soon as he laid eyes on Castiel.

"I take it you saw that?" Castiel asked, allowing Dean to pull him forward by the hips.

"Oh yeah and it was awesome," Dean told him. "I've never seen anyone drop Mike like that," He added, making Castiel beam with pride.

"It was definitely badass," James said suddenly, getting up to pat Castiel on the shoulder.

"Dude, hold up," Dean said, swatting James' hand way mid-motion, "I might have had to watch you put your paws all over him while we were downstairs, but I swear on my car if you touch him while we are in here, you'll be the next person to get dropped."

"I'm sorry, I was under the impression Castiel didn't have a boyfriend," James spat, purposely going for a low blow.

"Well, you better check your facts, buddy, cause you're looking at him," Dean shot back, making Castiel's jaw drop.

"Do you seriously mean that?" Castiel asked, grabbing Dean by his leather jacket, forcing him to make eye contact.

"I do, baby, if you want me to be, that is," Dean said, running his hand through Castiel's hair.

Not bothering with words, Castiel threw his arms around Dean's neck in response, kissing him deeply.

"Great, why is it that they never end up with the ones you want them to? It's like in every love triangle the main protagonist has to pick the wrong person," Pamela rambled, shaking her head.

"Pamela, stop talking," Castiel laughed, breaking his kiss with Dean, "this isn't a Twilight book, and you are drunk."

"Alright, everybody, clear out, I need to speak to my boyfriend privately," Dean ordered, winking at Castiel.

"Whatever, I didn't want to see my best friend make out with you anyway," Pamela said, pushing passed everyone to exist the bathroom.

"James, wait," Castiel called, stopping James from following Pamela.

"Like I said before Castiel, it's okay. I had a feeling you and him were serious the first time I saw you two together," James told him, handling the situation with grace.

"Thanks James," Castiel said, smiling as James gave him a quick nod before leaving the room.

Shutting and locking the door behind him, Dean then turned to Castiel who was standing near one of the sinks, still completely taken aback.

"What's up with you lately?" Castiel asked, hoping he wouldn't regret hearing Dean's answer.

"What do you mean?" Dean questioned, walking over to Castiel before kissing his neck lightly.

"You know exactly what I'm talking about," Castiel said as Dean turned him roughly so that he was facing the mirror.

Standing behind him, Dean then grabbed his hands, placing Castiel palms flat on the counter so that he was bend over slightly.

"Can't say I do," Dean whispered, his breath hot against Castiel's ear.

"Dean," Castiel moaned, grinding his ass against Dean's crotch.

"Do you know how much restraint it took for me not to kill that son of a bitch?" Dean asked, threading his right hand in Castiel's hair, tugging on it.

"At the risk of pissing you off…I was kinda hoping you'd get jealous," Castiel admitted as he felt Dean's left arm wrap around his waist.

"That's a dangerous game to play, sweetheart," Dean chuckled, tightening his grip so Castiel was pinned to him.

"I think the reward was well worth the risk," Castiel said seductively, turning his head to kiss Dean.

"Take off your clothes," Dean ordered suddenly, pulling his lips back from Castiel's to look down at him.

"But Dean…," Castiel began, only to have Dean stop him.

"You know how this works, baby. Do as you're told," Dean said, stepping back slightly so he would be able to see Castiel in the mirror as he undressed.

Biting his bottom lip nervously, Castiel complied, unbuttoning his shirt slowly before throwing it on the ground.

Looking into the mirror, he saw Dean watching him closely as he then reached for the button on his jeans.

"It's okay, baby," Dean told him, noticing Castiel shaking, his shyness getting the better of him.

Moving forward, Dean placed a kiss to his bare back, griping his hips firmly before biting down hard on Castiel's right shoulder blade.

"Mmm, fuck!" Castiel shouted out in pleasure.

"If you thought that felt good, imagine what I could do when you take these off," Dean teased, tugging at Castiel's jeans.

Regaining his composure, Castiel waited for Dean to step back once more before he finally rid himself of his pants and boxers.

He then kicked them off to the side, waiting for Dean's next command.

"Look at you," Dean said, his eyes hungrily soaking up every feature of Castiel's body.

"Dean, please," Castiel whimpered, already painfully hard, standing there untouched.

"Be patience, Cas," Dean teased, smacking his left ass check forcefully.

To keep from calling out, Castiel put his hand over his mouth to muffle the moan that threatened to escape his lips.

"Hey, none of that," Dean scolded, pulling Castiel's hand away. "We're going to take advantage of being in a place where no one can hear us," He added referring to the loud music coming from downstairs.

Nodding his agreement, Castiel was on the verge of begging Dean to speed it up when he felt him slap his ass again in the same spot, causing the same reaction. Out of instinct, Castiel covered his mouth, only to pull his hand away quickly when he realized what he had done.

"It was an accident," Castiel explained as Dean shook his head.

"Looks like I'm going to have to find a way to stop that," Dean said, walking over to grab Castiel's boxers from the pile of clothes on the floor.

Silently, Dean then put Castiel's hands behind his back, using the fabric to tie his wrists together.

"Dean," Castiel whined as Dean tugged at the knot to make sure it would hold.

"Now, let's try this again," Dean said, smacking Castiel's ass even harder than the first two times, causing him to let out a animalistic moan.

"Dean, please, I promise I won't hold back, just touch me," Castiel begged, feeling the heat from the palm print on ass warm his skin.

"Sorry baby, you know how I like to take my time," Dean taunted, standing behind Castiel as he reached his right hand down the front of his body to stroke Castiel's dick once before letting him go.

"Fuck you," Castiel breathed out, leaning back against Dean, feeling his erection pressed between his ass cheeks.

"Not tonight, but I promise we'll get there," Dean said, looking at Castiel through the mirror.

"What do you want me to do? I'll do anything, just touch me," Castiel mewled, grinding against Dean.

Fighting to conceal how much he enjoyed Castiel's action, Dean then bent down, biting Castiel's neck hard enough to break the skin.

"Dean, please, I need you," Castiel groaned, his body on fire.

"I want you to do one thing for me, Cas, and I swear I'll take care of you," Dean explained, finally taking pity on Castiel.

"Anything, just ask me," Castiel pleaded.

"Tell me how much you want me, how you don't want anybody but me," Dean said, making Castiel glance over his shoulder so he could look at Dean's face rather than his reflection in the mirror.

"Dean, I wish I could express to you just how much I want you," Castiel told him, not because he had to but because it was truly how he felt, "There isn't another man on this planet I would rather be with more than you."

"Promise me, Castiel," Dean demanded, his tone vulnerable and unsure.

"I promise, Dean," Castiel said wholehearted, looking up at him with his big innocent blue eyes. "I promise…I love you, Dean," He added, the words spilling out of his mouth before he could stop himself.

Upon hearing Castiel's declaration, Dean's breath hitched in his throat, his whole body going completely still.

"Dean," Castiel nearly pleaded, his body shaking with the anticipation of Dean's reaction.

He couldn't believe what he had just said, terrified of what Dean was about to do.

However, despite expecting a global meltdown, instead Dean quickly turned Castiel around to face him, lifting him up so that he was sitting on the edge of the counter before crashing their lips together.

Kissing back furiously, Castiel pushed his tongue in to Dean's mouth, taking pride in hearing him moan at the action.

"I'm going to make you cum so fucking hard," Dean gasped, biting at Castiel's bottom lip before leaning him back so that he was lying on the counter.

Dean then kissed his way down Castiel's stomach, sucking and licking at his hip bones, making Castiel go crazy.

"Dean, hurry," Castiel ordered, not sure how much longer he could last.

With his hands still tied behind his back, he struggled to move, completely under Dean's control.

"Alright baby, alright," Dean said, lifting him back up so Castiel was on his feet, his ass against the counter.

In a flash, Dean then dropped to his knees, taking Castiel in his mouth.

"Fuck, Dean!" Castiel yelled, his body humming with pleasure.

Moving his lips down Castiel's dick, Dean slowly bobbed his head, making Castiel break out in goosebumps.

"Louder baby," Dean said after sliding Castiel's dick out of his mouth before licking the length of it.

"Dean!" Castiel bellowed, desperate to find his release.

"Tell me again," Dean demanded suddenly, making Castiel look down at him, his chest heaving.

For a moment, Castiel was unsure what Dean was talking about but when he saw the look on his face, something just clicked.

"I love you," Castiel said earnestly.

Smirking up at Castiel, Dean then returned his mouth to its previous task, working faster the second go around.

Closing his eyes, Castiel threw his head back, immersing himself in the overwhelmingly wonderful, hot feeling that was coursing through his veins.

Being already so close to the edge, it wasn't long before Castiel felt his stomach muscles clutching as an orgasm hit him so hard he almost blacked out.

"Holy fucking shit," Castiel moaned, leaning back against the counter for support as Dean worked him through his orgasm. "You're fucking amazing...," He added, when Dean finally stood up, wiping his mouth.

"That was fucking intense, Cas," Dean said, reaching around him to untie his hands.

As soon as his wrists were free, Castiel surged forward, pushing Dean against the opposite wall as he kissed him furiously.

"If you even think about pulling your Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde bullshit after what just happened, I swear I will kill you and make it look like an accident," Castiel threated, mumbling against Dean's lips.

"I'm not going anywhere, baby, I told you, I've learned my lesson," Dean assured him, unable to hold back a laugh.

"And you didn't run away…even when I told you…you know," Castiel said, pulling back to look Dean in the eyes.

"I'm done running away from you, Cas," Dean told him and Castiel could tell he was trying with all his might not to freak out.

"And while that makes me extremely happy…I suppose you want to talk about everything later, am I right?" Castiel asked sarcastically, referring to not only what had just happened between them but the dynamics of their relationship as a whole.

"Honestly, I'm not going to lie, I've kinda got other things on my mind," Dean said suggestively, looking down at the bulge in his pants.

"You bastard," Castiel chuckled, shaking his head.

"Guilty," Dean shot back.

"You know that this whole situation is seriously fucked up, right?" Castiel asked, throwing caution to the wind.

He figured if Dean could be uncharacteristically open with him, then he could do the same with Dean.

"You mean I'm seriously fucked up and you're just the sweet guy having to deal with it, right?" Dean questioned, shocking Castiel.

He had seen glimpses of Dean expressing himself before but this was the first time he had ever been brutally honest about the way he felt.

"Don't do that," Castiel demanded, regaining his composure, "You didn't force me into anything, I chose to be with you…and you know we are both fucked up."

"Cas, you know that's bullshit…you're just a kind and innocent kid and I've done nothing but be an asshole to you," Dean admitted.

"That's not true. Don't stand there and say our relationship is all bad…Don't you dare," Castiel ordered, finding himself on the verge of tears.

"I'm not saying that, baby, I'm just saying that you're the reason for the positive things that happen between us…You've fought the entire time to keep this going when I was too damn stupid to care," Dean said and Castiel could hardly believe his ears.

"But you're here now, Dean…and it's easy to see that you're trying," Castiel stated, wrapping his arms around Dean's neck.

"…Why are you always trying to defend me?" Dean asked, pressing his forehead against Castiel's. "How could someone so smart and nice fall for such a backwoods, arrogant jackass like me?" He added, making Castiel's heart ache.

"How could someone so funny and genuine honestly think that little of himself?" Castiel inquired.

"Well, I thought we had decided that we weren't going to talk about this right now?" Dean questioned, running his fingers through Castiel's hair.

Infuriating as it was, Castiel honestly wasn't surprised that Dean changed the subject so abruptly and he was actually grateful that Dean had talked to him as long as he did.

"Damn it, Dean," Castiel huffed, knowing that he was going to let him have his way.

"You know what? If you can look me in the eyes and tell me you really want to continue having one of the most important discussions we've ever had in a bathroom at some random girl's birthday party while you're completely naked and slightly drunk, then I'll do it," Dean said, 100% serious.

"Okay, okay…You caught me Winchester," Castiel confessed, holding up his hands in defeat.

Dean was right, their current location was not the best place to have a heart to heart and Castiel was not the only drunk person in the room. Now was not the time to go blurting out things they might regret saying later. And if Castiel was being completely honest with himself, he didn't want to take the risk of ruining what had turned out to be an amazing night.

"That's what I thought," Dean teased, flashing him a million dollar smile.

"Shut up," Castiel replied, reaching down to unbutton Dean's pants.

"If that's what you like," Dean taunted, sucking in a breath when Castiel's hand found its way to his dick.

"Trust me babe, you'll be screaming just as loud, if not louder than I was when I get done with you," Castiel said cockily, the alcohol in his system allowing him to talk a big game.

However, he was unable to back it up before someone started knocking loudly at the bathroom door.

TO BE CONTINUED…


	20. A Slow Process

The sudden knocking sound at the bathroom door made both Dean and Castiel jump violently.

"Dean? Open the door!" A female voice called, sounding thoroughly agitated.

Scrambling for his clothes, Castiel soon realized that it was Crystal yelling at Dean through the cedar wood as he quickly pulled on his pants.

"Dean! I know you're in there, open up!" Crystal shouted, hitting the door with the palm of her hand.

"What the fuck does she want?" Castiel whispered, buttoning up his shirt.

"Well, sweetheart…let's just say that before you, if I wanted my dick sucked Crystal was my go-to girl...And long story short, she's a crazy possessive bitch," Dean said, looking innocently over at Castiel. "What's that saying? Hell hath no fury…"

"You're a womanizing pig," Castiel scolded, shaking his head in disgust.

"While I can't argue with that, I've been trying to avoid this girl for like two months now. Do I at least get a little bit of credit?" Dean asked, as Crystal continued to pound on the door.

"Oh, I'm sorry, babe, of course. Kudos to you for only being a scum bag but not a cheater on top of it," Castiel spat, extremely annoyed, not just at Dean, but also at Crystal's excessive noise.

"Fuck you, Castiel," Dean mumbled under his breath as Crystal began to jiggle the door handle.

"Dean! I'm not going to leave until we talk!" Crystal yelled, distracting Castiel from the long list of rude names he wanted to call Dean.

"Jesus Christ, make her go away," Castiel demanded, walking over to the bathtub so he could hide behind the shower curtain.

Once he was out of sight, he heard Dean let out a loud, dramatic sigh before opening the door to let Crystal in.

"Seriously, jackass?" Crystal scolded as soon as she entered the room.

"Sorry, sugar…I was having technical difficulties…," Dean said sarcastically, making Castiel roll his eyes from his hiding spot.

"Who is she?" Crystal asked, not bothering to dignify Dean's excuse with a response.

"Come again?" Dean questioned, feigning ignorance.

"The tramp you've got hiding behind the shower curtain," Crystal huffed, causing Castiel's heart to cease in his chest. "And don't try to deny it either. You're pants are undone and you look like a hot mess," she added, crushing any chance Dean had at an argument.

"Whoa, Crystal, how about you put the cuckoo back in the clock?" Dean asked, and from what Castiel could tell, he had moved over to position himself between Crystal and the bathtub.

"Are you feeding her the same line of bullshit that you told me? I hate to break it to you, sweetie, but he tells all the girls he fucks that they are the best he's ever had," Crystal said, raising her voice to address Castiel.

"Okay, I've had enough crazy for one night, would you kindly get the fuck out?" Dean inquired, but Castiel knew it was more of a demand than a question.

"Is she better in bed than me?" Crystal asked, not listening to Dean, "I bet she doesn't make you cum half as good as I do."

Resisting the urge to go off on Crystal, Castiel tried desperately to stay quiet behind the shower curtain, his blood boiling.

"Wow, that was catty," Dean jeered, unable to resist a fight.

"Oh honey, you haven't seen catty. If that basic bitch hiding from me decided to show her face, I could show you catty," she challenged, and Castiel had to bite the inside of his cheek to stop himself from telling Crystal that the only thing about her that scared him was her bad dye job.

"Aw, are you jealous darlin'?" Dean mocked. "Cause you should be. And by the way, the answer is yes. The chick I'm with now is better in bed than you by a fucking long shot. And just an FYI, I'm not lying when I say she's the best I've EVER had," he added condescendingly.

Holding back laughter, Castiel couldn't even be upset about the fact that Dean had just purposely mislabeled him as a woman because he was too busy enjoying hearing Dean defend him.

"Mmhm, just don't come crawling back to me when you're tired of her and you want a real woman," Crystal scoffed, trying to bait Dean.

"Whatever you say crazy pants, now get to steppin'," Dean ordered and after a couple of seconds Castiel heard the bathroom door slam shut.

Pulling back the curtain, Castiel could only stare at Dean, unable to believe what had just taken place.

"Jerry! Jerry! Jerry!" Castiel chanted when his shock had finally worn off.

"Dude, right?" Dean asked, letting out a loud belly laugh.

"You better sleep with one eye open, buddy," Castiel said.

"What can I say, man? I've kind of got a thing for crazy chicks," Dean admitted.

"You're an idiot. But is it wrong that I want to slap her?" Castiel questioned.

"Hey, if it makes you feel any better, she wants to slap you too, she just doesn't know it," Dean said, chuckling.

"Or maybe, Crystal and I should just join forces and collectively slap you?" Castiel stated, stepping out of the bathtub and into Dean's arms.

"Really? You're going to take the psycho's side?" Dean teased, holding Castiel tightly.

"Did you mean what you said?" Castiel asked, changing the subject. "Or was it just another line?"

"I meant it, Cas. You're the best thing that's ever happened to me," Dean said sincerely.

It might have been a game or Dean may have been telling the truth, Castiel wasn't sure. All he knew was that it was what he wanted to hear, and at that moment, he believed every word.

"You definitely get an A+ for your smooth talking skills, Winchester," Castiel told him.

"What do you say we get the hell out of here?" Dean asked, moving to pepper kisses down Castiel neck.

"I say hell yes," Castiel replied. "We can go to back to my place; no one is home."

"I like the sound of that," Dean said, stepping back to button his pants.

Taking a quick moment to straighten up his clothes and wipe the blood off his neck from where Dean had bitten him, Castiel was soon ready to go, waiting for Dean's instruction.

"I'll head out first," Dean told him, "That way if my stalker is around I can distract her while you make a break for it. Meet me outside in five, okay?"

"Got it," Castiel confirmed, Dean kissing him one more time before leaving.

It was awkward hanging around in the bathroom by himself, but Castiel timed it to the second, not leaving until five minutes had passed.

Finally, he made his way downstairs, going directly over to Pamela, who was hanging out with a group of her theater friends.

"Excuse me for a sec," Pamela told the group when she saw Castiel approach her.

Pulling him away from the crowd, Pamela found a less populated area of the living room for them to talk where she wasted little time scolding him.

"What the fuck is on your neck?" Pamela asked, noticeably still tanked.

"Don't ask questions," Castiel said. "How are you going to get home? You can't drive."

"Madison already said I could stay the night," Pamela informed him proudly.

"Will you be okay without me?" Castiel asked, not wanting to leave his best friend if she wasn't comfortable.

"Oh yeah, I'm golden," Pamela said, "Wait, how are you leaving? I drove you here."

"Dean is going to take me home," Castiel told her, regretting his decision to do so instantly.

"You are seriously going to ditch me so you can fool around with that…gross thing…?" Pamela questioned, too intoxicated to think of a decent insult.

"Good night Pammy," Castiel said, ignoring her drunk ramblings, "And stop drinking."

"Good night best friend," Pamela replied, hugging him. "And trust me, I quit about ten minutes ago when the room started spinning," she added.

"Smart choice," Castiel teased, high-fiving her.

Bidding his best friend farewell one last time, Castiel then exited the house and made his way down the steps of Madison's front porch. It was pitch black outside, but Castiel could see lightning in the distance as a storm began to roll in.

"Move your ass, Novak, before it starts to pour," Castiel heard Dean shout suddenly as he looked to his right to see him standing by the Impala a couple yards away.

Speed walking, Castiel had just reached the large black vehicle when the wind picked up significantly. As they were both got in the car, a large clap of thunder shook the Impala, making Castiel jump.

"Damn, looks like we're going to get a hell of a storm," Dean said, settling down behind the wheel before leaning over to grab a pack of cigarettes from the glove compartment.

"Wait a minute," Castiel ordered, realizing something extremely important. "You're drunk…You shouldn't be driving, especially not in a storm."

"Don't freak out, Cas. I've driven in worst shape than this," Dean reassured him, placing a cigarette between his lips.

"That's truly not comforting, Dean," Castiel said, buckling his seatbelt.

"Dude, remember what I said about biting my own tongue off before I would ever wreck this car? I meant that shit. If I didn't think I could drive, I wouldn't," Dean explained, reaching into the left pocket of his leather jacket to produce a lighter.

Lighting the cigarette, Dean then rolled down his window, taking a drag before flicking the ashes on the ground.

"This is reckless and I should know better," Castiel said as Dean started the car.

"Hey, trust me," Dean stated simply, like it was some sort of game changer.

"I do and I have, and look where it's gotten me so far?" Castiel shot back sarcastically as Dean started to drive.

"Ouch, baby," Dean said, unable to deny Castiel's statement.

Choosing not to reply, Castiel turned his attention to rolling down his window, trying to counteract the fact that Dean hadn't bothered to put on the air conditioning. Although it was windy, the oncoming storm was causing it to be humid and muggy as they drove down the road on their way back to town, making the car ride uncomfortably hot. As sweat began to roll down his neck, Castiel leaned toward the open window, keeping his eyes straightforward.

Sitting there quietly, he began to reflect on everything that had happened that night for the first time. Soon, he felt his heart begin to race at the thought of how whenever things were good between Dean and him, there was always a major setback, courtesy of Mr. Winchester, in the future. But if he was being honest with himself, Dean's potential freak out was the least of his worries at the moment. The thing that was weighing the heaviest on his mind was that he had told Dean he loved him, twice, once because Dean had wanted him too, yet he received no response either time. Castiel couldn't even fathom want that meant and was sure he didn't want to know.

Deep in thought, Castiel continued to stare off into the distance, not noticing Dean leaning over to push in a tape that was hanging out of the stereo. All of a sudden, the Impala was filled with the sound of loud music as TNT by ACDC threatened to burst Castiel's eardrums. Taking a deep breath, he steadied himself, trying to recover from the unexpected noise. Letting out an agitated huff, he could hear Dean chuckling at the fact that he had made him jump.

Daring to look to his left, Castiel shot Dean a dirty look but it was to no avail considering Dean's attention was focused on the road. Instead of turning away, Castiel kept his gaze on the driver, studying him closely. He watched as Dean leaned back in his seat, his right hand on the steering wheel as he took another drag off his cigarette. He looked so calm, so relaxed, like nothing in the world could get to him. Castiel often wondered how Dean could achieve such a look, being envious of it as a naturally anxious person. There was just something about the way Dean carried himself that Castiel couldn't get enough of. He had a devil may care attitude and Castiel loved it, but at the sometime it made him want to punch Dean in the face.

"Are we back to the staring thing again?" Dean asked, noticing Castiel's gaze on him after a while.

"How the hell am I supposed to keep my eyes off you?" Castiel inquired, owning the fact that he had been caught. "You've got that mysterious bad boy vibe going on right now and it's seriously driving me crazy," he added, unbuckling his seatbelt so he scooted over to sit next to Dean.

"It must be if you're willing to risk unbuckling your seatbelt just to get close to me," Dean teased, flicking the bud of his cigarette out the window before switching to driving with his left hand so he could put his right arm around Castiel.

Instead of responding, Castiel slid his hand between Dean's legs, massaging his dick through his jeans.

"I think you're overestimating the function of my motor skills though, baby," Dean said, swerving a little when Castiel touched him.

"It's 12:30 a.m. and we're on some back road in the middle of nowhere Alabama. I'm fairly confident you aren't going to hit anything," Castiel whispered, kissing Dean's neck as he continued to move his hand.

"Now who's being reckless?" Dean asked, taking his eyes off the road to kiss Castiel's lips.

"What can I say? You're a terrible influence," Castiel teased when Dean pulled away almost immediately having to turn his attention back to driving so they didn't drift into the other lane.

Laughing, Dean was about to reply to his comment when Castiel's phone started vibrating in his pocket. Quickly, he fished it out, turning down the music when he saw his sister's name flashing on the caller ID.

"Anna?" Castiel answered, nervous about the fact that his baby sister was calling him so late.

"Cassie? Do you know where Gabriel is? I've been trying to get ahold of him for the last thirty minutes," Anna said, worry evident in her voice.

"I think he went to Randal's for poker night, he probably turned his phone on silent so it won't disrupt the game…What's wrong?" Castiel asked.

"Um…," Anna mumbled, sounding as though she were on the verge of tears.

"Anna, sweetie, tell me," Castiel said as Dean looked over at him, sensing something was wrong.

"I went with Ashley to a party at her boyfriend's house…he's sixteen and invited a whole bunch of his friends," Anna confessed, the information flooring Castiel.

Ashley was one of Anna's new friends she had met when she started 8th grade and Castiel could tell from the first time he met her that she was trouble.

"Is someone bothering you?" Castiel inquired, his nerves causing him to shake.

"There is just this one guy…He won't leave me alone," Anna told him.

"Did he hurt you, Anna?" Castiel questioned, bile rising in his throat.

"No, no…nothing like that, he just keeps trying to flirt with me. I told him I'm only thirteen but he doesn't seem to care and he's making me really uncomfortable. I was calling Gabriel to come get me because nobody here can drive…they're all drunk…," Anna explained.

"Where are you? I'll come get you," Castiel said.

"You don't have a car, Cassie," Anna stated pitifully.

"Even if I have to steal one I'll find a way to get to you, just tell me where you are," Castiel ordered, not wanting to waste any more time.

Spouting out an address, Anna gave Castiel the best directions she could manage as Castiel listened closely, careful to memorize every word.

"Okay, little sis, I'll be there as soon as I can. Is there a place you can go to get away from that creep?" Castiel asked.

"I'm way ahead of you Cassie. I went upstairs and locked myself in one of the bedrooms," Anna told him.

"Perfect," Castiel said, "I'm on my way."

"Thanks Cassie, I'm sorry," Anna apologized.

"Shit happens, baby girl. You aren't the only one of the Novak children to mess up," Castiel assured her, chuckling.

"I love you, big brother," Anna replied, unable to stop herself from laughing as well.

"I love you too, Anna," Castiel answered before hanging up the phone.

"What's going on?" Dean asked, glancing over at him.

"My little sister is stuck at a party with a bunch of drunk people she doesn't know and there is some asshole that won't leave her alone," Castiel explained.

"Where's she at?" Dean inquired, not even waiting for Castiel to ask him if he would take him to pick her up.

"Thanks babe, seriously, this means a lot," Castiel said, kissing Dean on the cheek.

"Don't sweat it, Cas, she's your baby sister. If roles were reversed and Sammy was in a jam I know you'd take me anywhere I needed to go," Dean told him.

Smiling, Castiel nodded his agreement before resting his head against Dean's shoulder as he continued to drive.

When they reached town thirty minutes later, Dean began to pick up his speed, the alcohol in his system wearing off.

"I think this is it," Castiel said when they finally got to the neighborhood Anna had sent them to.

Pointing to his left, Castiel was sure he had found the house because it was the only one on the block with the lights still on.

Parking the Impala behind a pickup truck in the driveway, Dean then got out of the car as Castiel quickly followed him.

Before he could ask Dean what he planned on doing, the green eyed boy was already up the steps of the front porch and banging on the door.

"Yeah?" A short brown haired boy asked, answering the door not a minute later.

"Is Anna Novak here?" Dean inquired, his jaw clenched and his shoulders squared.

"Who's asking?" The brown haired boy questioned sarcastically, sizing Dean up.

Castiel was about to tell Dean not to do anything drastic when he heard a yelp of pain from the brown haired boy as Dean kicked open the door, sending the boy tumbling backward.

"Which one of you sorry sacks of shit was harassing Anna Novak?" Dean asked, walking into the living room, his presence scaring the hell out of the large group of kids congregated there.

Stepping over the boy he had knocked to the floor, Dean looked around expectantly waiting for someone to come forward.

Quietly, Castiel stood behind him in shock, not anticipating Dean taking such rash action.

"What'd that little redheaded slut say?" A tall, black haired boy questioned suddenly from the right side of the room.

Looking over, Castiel saw that the boy was standing next to Anna's friend Ashley and another guy he could only assume was her boyfriend.

"You the guy who was hitting on an innocent little thirteen year old girl?" Dean inquired, walking over to stand in front of him.

"Dude, whatever she said she was lying. She was loving every minute of it," the boy said, making Castiel skin crawl.

"You're disgusting and if you ever come near my sister again I'll kick your teeth down your throat," Castiel raged, stepping forward only to have Dean hold out his arm to stop him.

"New flash dick bag, when I girl says no, she means no," Dean spat, getting in the boy's face.

"Not that you would know anything about what girls want considering it looks like you're too busy sucking your friend's dick," the boy taunted, nodding at Castiel.

The words had barely left the boy's mouth when Castiel saw Dean's fist connect with his jaw, sending him straight to the floor. It only took one punch from Dean to lay the boy out as everyone in the room, including Castiel, gasped loudly.

"Go get Anna," Dean ordered, turning to look at Castiel.

Blinking at him several times, Castiel fought to uproot himself from the spot, eventually making his legs move so that he could head up the stairs. Once on the second level, he went to each door, knocking on them until he reached the room at the end of the hall where Anna was located.

"Cassie!" Anna said, throwing her arms around him.

"It's okay, kid, I'm here," Castiel cooed, hugging her back.

"Did you really steal a car?" Anna asked, making Castiel laugh.

"I would be more than happy to explain to you how I got here but I'd much rather do that anywhere but in this house," he said, releasing her.

"I feel you, big brother," Anna agreed as they made their way back downstairs.

Getting back to the living room, Castiel saw that the boy Dean had knocked out was just coming to.

"Where's the guy that hit him?" Castiel asked Ashley upon noticing Dean's absence.

"He said to tell you he'd be in the car," Ashley sneered, giving Castiel and Anna a dirty look.

"Someone hit him?" Anna inquired, looking down at the boy who had harassed her. "Couldn't have happened to a nicer guy," she added, bringing a huge smile to Castiel's face.

"Indeed, baby sister," Castiel concurred. "Now, let's get the hell out of here."

"Yes please," Anna said, following Castiel out the door.

Once they were on the porch, Castiel led Anna down the steps and out to the Impala where Dean was sitting in the driver's seat, looking beyond pissed.

"Is that Dean Winchester?" Anna asked, completely bewildered.

"It's a long, complicated story," Castiel informed her as it began to downpour.

Rushing to the car, Anna jumped in the backseat as Castiel joined Dean in the front before rolling up his window quickly. Once he had stopped the rain from splashing into the Impala, Castiel leaned over, pulling Dean into a tender kiss.

"NO WAY!" Castiel heard Anna shout from behind him as Dean reciprocated the kiss, running his fingers through Castiel's hair.

"You shouldn't have done that, Dean. What if he presses charges?" Castiel asked, after their extremely short make out session.

"I don't give a fuck, Cas. Just the sight of that little bastard made me cringe. And I'd gladly get arrested for punching a pervert like him in the face," Dean said, separating himself from Castiel so he could start the car. "Besides, it's not like it would be my first stretch in juvey," he added, smirking at Castiel.

"You're eighteen now, babe. This is serious," Castiel told him.

"Baby, he's a teenaged boy hanging out at a house with underage drinking, and from what I saw when I was in there, there were other party favors, if you get my drift. Ratting me out would put him in just as bad of a predicament as it would me. Think about it, he'd have to explain where he was at the time of the assault and believe me when I tell you I will have no problem taking his punk ass down with me," Dean said, trying to calm Castiel down.

"Can somebody please tell me what the heck is going on?!" Anna interjected from the backseat suddenly.

Turning to look at her, Castiel saw that his baby sister was wearing an express that could only be interpreted as utter disbelief.

"Dean KO'd the asshole that was bothering you," Castiel informed her, knowing very well that was not what his sister was asking.

"Don't you dare play dumb with me, Castiel. When did you and Dean Winchester just start randomly making out?! And you, when in the ever loving heck did you start liking guys?" Anna questioned, turning her frustration to Dean.

"Aw, she says heck, that's adorable," Dean chuckled, rolling up to a stop light as he flipped the power of his windshield wipers up a notch.

By that point it was raining so hard Castiel didn't even know how Dean could see, but he didn't question him, knowing that Dean would never take the risk of hurting his car.

"Castiel, seriously, he's mean to you," Anna said, ignoring Dean's comment.

"Not anymore, Anna…well, for the most part," Castiel informed her, earning a dirty look from Dean.

"And you like him? Even after all the times he beat you up?" Anna asked, looking from Castiel to Dean.

"In a nutshell? Yeah," Castiel said simply, knowing there was nothing he could say to make his little sister understand his flawed logic.

"And I like your brother back," Dean piped up, glancing at Anna in the rear view mirror.

"This has been one crazy night," Anna sighed, completely at a loss for words.

"Now there is something we can agree on, squirt," Castiel told her as Dean finally pulled into the driveway of his house.

Moving quickly, the three of them then hopped out of the Impala, running for cover on Castiel's porch.

"Dang, I feel like a just took a shower," Anna said, wringing out her wet clothes when they made it to the front door.

"My shoes are soggy," Castiel complained as a streak of lightning lit up the sky.

"We should probably go inside and call Gabe; I'm worried about him," Anna told Castiel, watching as her big brother kicked off his rain soaked sneakers.

"Good plan, I'm sure he's fine though. You know he never answers his phone," Castiel reassured her.

"I know, but I'll feel better when I've talked to him. Ooo, we should make hot chocolate once we get ahold of Gabe," Anna suggested as Dean, who had been silent the entire time, shifted uncomfortably from one foot to another.

"Sounds like a plan," Castiel agreed, opening the front door.

"You like hot chocolate, right?" Anna asked suddenly, looking over at Dean.

"Of course," Dean said happily, instantly perking up at Anna's question.

"Good, because my brother is off limits to any man that doesn't like hot chocolate," Anna teased as they all went inside the house.

Entering the living room, Dean took off his extremely wet leather jacket, having left his boots outside with Castiel and Anna's shoes.

"I'll grab some towels," Anna said, disappearing into the laundry room.

"So, your little sister knows about us…," Dean stated awkwardly when he knew Anna could no longer hear him.

"…Please don't be mad…but so does my big brother…," Castiel confessed, scrunching up his face in an "oops" expression.

"Jeez Cas, who else knows? The president?" Dean huffed, taking the information far better than Castiel expected.

"Nah, Barack is still in the dark. He's a busy dude, I haven't gotten a chance to give him the 411 yet," Castiel shot back sarcastically.

"Here you guys," Anna interjected, re-entering the room with three towels, interrupting what was no doubt a fight waiting to happen.

"Thanks Anna Banana," Castiel said, taking the towel she was offering him and drying his hair with it.

Dean, who seemed to like he still wanted to argue, took a towel from her as well, remaining silent except for offering Anna thanks.

"Dean, I wanted to thank you as well," Anna said, looking up into Dean's eyes.

"What do you mean?" Dean asked, patting his arms dry.

"You didn't have to take Cassie to come get me tonight but you did, and I'm so grateful that you taught that creep a lesson," Anna told him, smiling.

"It was no problem, kid, honestly," Dean replied, shrugging his shoulders.

In response, Anna stepped forward, hugging Dean tightly around the waist.

"Thanks for saving my butt, Winchester," Anna said as Dean hesitantly hugged her back.

Studying him, Castiel could tell Dean was shocked by Anna's outburst of affection, but happy about it nonetheless.

"Anytime baby Novak," Dean answered, smiling when Anna released him.

"Oh, but just to let you know? No matter how tight we might become, if you break my brother's heart, I'll set you on fire and watch you burn," Anna threatened, causing Dean's jaw to drop.

"Anna!" Castiel scolded as she smiled smugly at Dean before heading to the kitchen.

"I'm gonna call Gabe and start the hot chocolate," she called from the other room.

"Damn, that kid is fierce," Dean laughed, taking a few seconds to shake off his shock.

"Yeah, she's a badass," Castiel agreed, trying not to smile.

"She reminds me of Sammy," Dean said, an affectionate look gracing his face at the thought of his little brother.

"Dean, are you mad that I told Gabe about us?" Castiel asked, not being able to stand the tension between them any longer.

"I'm more pissed that you didn't tell me he knew…I mean, Anna knows now so it's really not that big of a deal but…," Dean explained, searching for the right words.

"But I told you I'd keep us a secret and didn't…and when someone you're in a relationship with says one thing and does another it hurts like hell to know they lied to you," Castiel said, making Dean take a deep, ragged breath.

"I hear you, Cas, I'm sorry," Dean conceded, Castiel unable to reply before Anna joined them in the living room once more.

"I finally got ahold of Gabriel," Anna told Castiel. "He's on his way home right now and freaking out because I told him what happened," she added, making both Dean and Castiel sigh.

"Awesome," Dean said, rolling his eyes.

"What was I supposed to do? He saw that he had six missed calls from me and I had already left him a voicemail sort of explaining the situation," Anna confessed.

"You did the right thing, Anna, we shouldn't keep this from Gabriel anyway," Castiel told her.

"I agree. Well, I'm going to grab a shower really quick. I feel gross. I'll make the hot chocolate when I'm done," Anna informed them.

"Sounds good, squirt," Castiel agreed.

"You guys should probably do the same…You smell like BO," Anna giggled. "I'll take my shower in the guest bathroom so one of you can have the upstairs one," She added.

"Thanks brat," Castiel said as Anna left them once more.

"Charmer," Dean muttered, shaking his head.

"Do you want to shower first?" Castiel asked, turning his attention to Dean.

"Why don't we just save water and shower together?" Dean questioned, a playful smirk on his face.

"Does that line usually work?" Castiel inquired, walking to the stairs as Dean followed him.

"Every time," Dean confirmed when they reached the bathroom.

"I don't even have words," Castiel replied, shutting the door and locking it.

Sitting down their towels near the sink, Castiel then went over to start the shower as Dean began to get undressed. As he waited for the water to get hot, Castiel unbuttoned his shirt, winking over at Dean who was now completely naked.

"You're so fucking hot," Dean said when Castiel finally shimmed out of his jeans.

"Says the sexiest boy I've ever laid my eyes on," Castiel replied, pulling back the shower curtain to step in the tub.

The hot water felt amazing on his skin as Castiel turned his back to the showerhead, watching as Dean joined him.

Closing the curtain, Dean then leaned forward, grabbing Castiel by the ass as he pressed their lips together.

"I can see why that line always works," Castiel said, putting his hands on the tops of Dean's shoulders.

"Told ya," Dean bragged, giving his ass a quick slap before releasing Castiel to grab the shampoo.

Squirting some of the shiny liquid into his palm, Dean then sat the bottle back down on the side of the tub.

"Turn around," He ordered.

Obeying, Castiel faced forward, the hot water hitting his chest as Dean began to work the shampoo into his hair.

"I could get used to this," Castiel teased, leaning his head back.

Massaging Castiel's scalp with his fingers, Dean chuckled when he heard Castiel let out a small moan.

"Feel good baby?" Dean asked.

"Mmhm," Castiel mumbled in response.

After a few minutes of rubbing his head, Dean then carefully turned Castiel around so he could rinse out the shampoo, kissing him when he was done.

Wrapping his arms around Dean's neck, Castiel couldn't help but wish that the boy standing in front of him would always treat him with such affection. It made him so happy when Dean acted like he was at that very moment and he dreaded the thought that it could all change in a heartbeat.

"What?" Dean asked, noticing the frown on Castiel's face.

"Just thinking," Castiel said, running his fingers through Dean's wet hair.

"About?" Dean inquired.

"Do you really want to know?" Castiel questioned, surprised Dean was being so inquisitive.

"The one time I actually ask you about how you're feeling and you are seriously going to give me attitude?" Dean asked, rolling his eyes.

"Okay, fine. I was thinking about how nervous I am that when you leave my house you'll just randomly decide not to speak to me for days on end. And how shitty that is considering we're, as far as I can tell, on really good terms right now," Castiel confessed.

"Cas, about that…I just…," Dean said, attempting to explain himself but failing.

"What Dean?" Castiel inquired.

"Okay, listen," Dean huffed, letting out a breath through his mouth as though he were trying to steady himself. "What we have…It's new to me. I've never been in a real relationship before…hell, I don't think you can even call my previous sexual encounters relationships…So being with you, like this…It's overwhelming sometimes."

"What are you trying to say, babe?" Castiel asked, not sure where Dean was going with his ramblings.

"When things are going great between us…It makes me think about how much I care about you and I realize that…I need you…And it scares the ever loving shit out of me," Dean admitted, looking down to avoid eye contact.

"And exactly how does ignoring me help you cope with that?" Castiel questioned, lifting Dean's chin up with his right hand so that they were face to face.

"…I was just trying to prove to myself that I could go without talking to you or hanging out with you…," Dean said, looking absolutely terrified.

"Because Dean Winchester, Anderson's hard ass playboy, couldn't possibly fall for someone," Castiel mocked.

"Shut up, as you've probably noticed I found out that no matter how hard I try, I can't stay away from you," Dean confessed, and Castiel could feel him shaking despite the warm water raining down on them from the shower.

"Dean, it's okay to be scared…I'm scared too. Sometimes I can't believe how strongly I feel about you and it's a lot to take in. But you can't just pull your macho man, I don't need anybody bullshit whenever you are feeling overwhelmed. Do you have any idea how that makes me feel? I can't tell you how many times I thought you were just done with me. Or that you never even liked me in the first place," Castiel told Dean.

"What was I supposed to do, Cas? Just look at you and be like, sorry to act like a pussy but the very thought of how much I need you makes me what to jump out of my skin," Dean asked, a scowl on his face.

"Telling me how you feel doesn't make you a pussy, Dean. Let's clear that up first and foremost. And yes, that's exactly what you should have done. I would have understood and given you space, you could have taken as much time as you needed. Plus, that way I wouldn't have lost sleep worrying about whether or not you would ever speak to me again," Castiel scolded, trying to keep his cool.

"I'm not used to this sort of thing…I don't exactly come from a family of over-sharers," Dean teased, offering Castiel a weak smile.

"I know, babe…," Castiel sighed, all too aware that Dean didn't know the first thing about expressing emotions that didn't have to with anger or lust.

"I'm seriously trying though, Cas…," Dean promised, pulling him into a hug.

"I know that too and I'm so grateful that you are," Castiel said, laying his head on Dean's shoulder as they held each other tightly, water dripping down their backs.

TO BE CONTINUED…


	21. Under Your Spell

It was no surprise to Castiel that when they finally separated from their embrace, Dean stated that he didn't want to talk anymore. Being far too tired to argue, taking into account that it was almost three in the morning, Castiel decided to concede without a fight. Grabbing the soap, he then began to wash his body in silence, switching places with Dean in the shower once he was completely rinsed off.

Taking the bar of Dial from Castiel, Dean quickly got clean as well, letting the warm water run over his neck and shoulders as soap suds rolled down his chest.

"You're staring again," Dean said suddenly, noticing that Castiel was watching him.

"Maybe that's because you're the only guy I know that can make the act of removing filth from his body sexy," Castiel huffed as he picked up the shampoo.

"I'm just messing with you, baby. You know I don't mind that you stare at me, right? No matter your reasoning," Dean told him, turning around so Castiel could wash his hair.

"Really? You don't think it's…I don't know…weird or creepy?" Castiel asked, massaging Dean's head just as he had done for him.

"Honestly? I think it's fucking hot. You get this look in your eyes, like you're thinking about all the things you could do to me," Dean explained, his voice lustful.

"That's because I am," Castiel admitted, blushing as he helped Dean turn back around.

"Fuck," Dean mumbled, shutting his eyes as he scrubbed the shampoo out of his hair, "You're seriously killing me, Novak."

"Welcome to my world every time I see you," Castiel shot back.

Chuckling, Dean chose not to respond, making sure his hair was rid of all shampoo before turning off the water.

Pulling open the shower curtain, Castiel had just put one foot on the tiled bathroom floor when a monstrous clap of thunder reached his ears.

"Man, I should have pulled my car into the garage," Dean whined as he stepped out of the shower after Castiel.

Rolling his eyes, Castiel handed Dean his towel and then grabbed his own so he could dry off.

"It's water, Dean, not acid rain. The Impala will be fine," Castiel teased, removing the excess water from his body before wrapping the towel around his waist.

"I think you're just jealous," Dean huffed, also securing his towel around his middle.

"She does get more of your attention than me…," Castiel stated, earning an eye roll from Dean.

"Whatever," Dean grumbled, following Castiel's lead as he opened the bathroom door and made his way across the hall to his room.

Once they reached their destination, Castiel flipped on the lights before ushering Dean inside.

"The weather channel wasn't kidding when they said to expect a thunderstorm tonight, were they?" Dean asked, walking over to the window as Castiel locked his door.

"I guess not," Castiel said, flinching slightly when a flash of lightening lit up the glass Dean was standing in front of.

Regaining his composure, Castiel then made his way over to his dresser to get Dean a pair of boxers and his black sweat pants that Castiel had borrowed from him a couple weeks earlier.

"What about my ACDC shirt?" Dean inquired, taking the clothes Castiel handed to him.

"Oh, yeah…You're not getting that back," Castiel said sheepishly as he put on a pair of red basketball shorts.

"Great, I've got a boyfriend who steals my clothes," Dean griped, patting himself dry one last time with his towel before getting dressed.

"Shut up and think fast, Winchester," Castiel told him, throwing the stick of deodorant that he had sitting on the top of his dresser at Dean.

Catching it effortlessly, Dean shot Castiel a dirty look as he applied the antiperspirant.

"So do I just not get a shirt, then?" Dean asked, tossing the deodorant back to Castiel when he was done.

"Babe, what makes you think that I would ever supply you with something that covers up that gorgeous body of yours?" Castiel retorted, putting on some deodorant before setting it back in its place.

"Don't objectify me," Dean laughed, crossing his arms over his chest.

"I wouldn't dream of it," Castiel replied as he rummaged through the top drawer of his dresser, producing the shirt in question and quickly putting it on.

"You little punk," Dean said, surging forward to grab Castiel, who tried to make a break for it.

"Let me go, ya jerk," Castiel giggled as Dean picked him up to put him over his shoulder.

"If you insist, baby," Dean agreed, slapping Castiel's right ass cheek playfully before taking him over to the bed to sit him at the bottom of the mattress.

Wrapping Castiel's legs around his waist, Dean then leaned down to press their lips together, kissing him sensually.

Threading his fingers through Dean's damp hair, Castiel had just opened his mouth to give the boy above him better access when he heard Anna calling him from downstairs.

"Castiel! The hot chocolate is ready! And Gabriel is here!" Anna yelled, making both Dean and Castiel groan.

"Why am I not surprised?" Dean mumbled sarcastically, not hesitating to untangle himself from Castiel.

"Looks like you'll just have to seduce me later, Winchester," Castiel said, laughing as he stood up from the bed.

"You best believe I will," Dean promised, letting Castiel intertwine their fingers as he led him to the door.

When they finally got downstairs, Castiel saw Anna sitting on the love-seat in the living room, which was positioned to the left of the couch, her kitten in her lap with Gabriel right next to her. Upon further inspection, he also noticed both Anna and Gabriel were holding steaming cups of hot chocolate, their attention focused on the television.

"Oh God, it's my worst nightmare come true," Gabriel groaned, turning his head toward Castiel and Dean when he heard the stairs creek under their weight. "Dean Winchester in my living room, half naked and holding my baby brother's hand….On a scale of 1 to even, I can't," he added sarcastically.

"Don't be a dick, Gabe," Castiel scolded as he rounded the corner of the couch, releasing Dean's hand so he could sit down at the far end.

When he took his seat, Castiel saw that there were two cups of hot chocolate on the coffee table for him and Dean.

Shooting his baby sister a smile, Castiel was just about to give her his thanks when Gabriel distracted him by standing up to block Dean's path to the couch.

"What are you doing, Gabriel?" Castiel asked as Dean and his big brother got in each other's faces.

"It's okay, Cas," Dean said, not taking his eyes of Gabriel. "He's just got to teach me a lesson for hurting his little brother, am I right?" he continued, addressing the older boy in front of him.

In response, Gabriel drew back his fist, punching Dean as hard as he could in the stomach.

"Yeah, that's right," Gabriel confirmed, his blow knocking the wind out of Dean.

"Gabriel!" Castiel reprimanded from the couch, too shocked to move.

"Now, while I would personally love to continue dishing out the ass whooping we both know you deserve, for my little brother's sake I'm going to let that serve as a warning," Gabriel explained to Dean, who was rubbing his stomach, a grimace on his face.

"Message received," Dean grumbled, narrowing his eyes at Gabriel.

"Good, because if you break Castiel's heart one more time, I swear I'll end you," Gabriel replied.

"Jesus, can everyone in this family please stop threatening to maim or kill my boyfriend?" Castiel asked in exasperation as Gabriel returned to his seat.

"Wait, you threatened him too?" Gabriel questioned, looking over at his little sister.

"Ya darn skippy," Anna answered, her eldest brother giving her a toothy grin in response.

"That's my girl!" Gabriel commended, making Castiel sigh loudly.

"It's really okay, Cas. They're just trying to protect you," Dean said, making his way around the couch to sit next to Castiel.

"And while I appreciate that," Castiel replied, shooting his siblings a quick glance before returning his attention to Dean, "I'd rather not see you get hurt."

"That's sweet of you baby brother, considering this asshole doesn't seem to give a shit about seeing you get hurt," Gabriel spat, making Dean scowl.

"Gabriel Alexander Novak, enough," Castiel warned.

"You might not like it baby brother, but them's the facts. And besides, he's a freaking football player. He's been tackled by dudes that weigh two hundred plus pounds, I'm pretty sure one little punch to the stomach isn't going to break him," Gabriel taunted, reaching for his hot chocolate.

"The douche bag is right, baby," Dean said, smirking at Castiel, "Your man is pretty tough."

"He is, isn't he?" Castiel cooed, leaning forward to kiss Dean.

"That's so disgusting I wanna die," Gabriel complained as Anna obverted her eyes.

Getting the reaction he wanted, Castiel smiled at Dean who gave him a quick wink before turning his body so that he was lying on his back with his head in Castiel's lap.

"I seriously can't believe that I'm actually witnessing this," Gabriel huffed as Castiel ran his fingers through Dean's hair.

Dean, looking over at Gabriel as if he were going to say something sarcastic, had just opened his mouth to respond when Anna's kitten randomly jumped off her lap and walked over to the couch, staring up at Dean with its bright blue eyes.

"Hey little buddy, long time no see," Dean said, reaching down to pick up the small ball of fur.

"You've met Charlie?" Anna asked, extremely confused.

"Oh, didn't you know, baby sis? Castiel's been sneaking his dirty little secret around the house for months," Gabriel taunted, referring to the night he had almost caught Dean in Castiel's room.

"You know, Gabriel, I didn't retaliate earlier out of consideration for Castiel, but if you don't watch your mouth I might be the one that dishes out the ass whooping," Dean threatened.

"Very intimidating, Winchester. The kitten in your arms really shows me that you mean business," Gabriel laughed.

"That's it, we are going back to my room," Castiel groaned, nudging Dean so that he would sit up.

"You don't have to run away for your girlfriend's sake, Cassie, I'm just having a little fun," Gabriel teased.

"Keep it up, bitch," Dean spat, standing up to hand Charlie back to Anna.

"Oh my God, children! I'm trying to watch TV," Anna scolded as Dean and Gabriel stared each other down.

"Come on, babe," Castiel said, tugging Dean toward the stairs.

"Hold up, I need my jacket," Dean told him, grabbing the piece of clothing from the back of the couch where he had sat it earlier.

"There a blizzard where you're going?" Gabriel questioned, suspicious of why Dean would need his jacket in Castiel's room.

"I like to be prepared," Dean retorted sarcastically, purposely keeping Gabriel in the dark.

"Hey, take your hot chocolate," Anna chimed in, clearly done with Dean and Gabriel's bickering.

Doing as he was told, Dean put his jacket over his shoulder before grabbing both his and Castiel's hot chocolate and following Castiel up the stairs.

"Good night to you, too," Gabriel called after them.

"Night Gabe, night Anna," Castiel yelled when he and Dean reached the hall.

Upon hearing their replies, Castiel then led Dean to his room, locking his door as usual when they were both inside.

"Two questions," Castiel said as he watched Dean set their hot chocolate down on his computer desk, "Why can't you and my brother just get along and why do you need your jacket?"

"The answer to your first question is that your brother doesn't want to give me a chance because of all shit I've put you through, and while I don't blame him, I've never been about to back down from a fight," Dean explained, removing his jacket from his shoulder to access one of the inside pockets. "And as for your second question, I thought we could put these to good use," he added, holding up a condom and a small bottle of lube.

Upon seeing the items in Dean's hand, Castiel couldn't stop his jaw from falling open in shock.

"But at Madison's party you said…," Castiel stuttered, Dean instantly cutting him off.

"I know what I said, Cas. Do we really have to talk about it?" Dean asked, throwing his jacket over the back of Castiel's computer chair.

"Of course we have to talk about it! You've had those the entire night, which means you planned on using them but didn't, even though you had the opportunity to," Castiel said, not sure whether he should be offended or sad.

"Will you just give me a second to explain?" Dean questioned, noticeably agitated.

"I'm all ears," Castiel huffed in response.

"I had every intention of using these at Madison's party and don't get me wrong, I wanted to but…," Dean said, his voice trailing off.

"Dean, tell me," Castiel demanded, hearing his heartbeat pounding in his ears.

"I just didn't think your first time should be in some random bathroom while you were drunk, okay?" Dean blurted out, avoiding Castiel's eyes.

"Wait, are you saying you want it to be special?" Castiel asked softly, his anger and confusion melting away.

"Yeah, whatever…You don't have to make me sound like such a sissy," Dean groused, looking up slightly as Castiel made his way over to him.

Putting his arms around Dean's neck, Castiel kissed his lips gently before smiling up at him.

"Thank you, Dean," Castiel said, pressing their foreheads together.

"It's not a big deal, Cas," Dean replied, shrugging his shoulders.

"It is to me," Castiel told him.

"Well, then you're welcome," Dean mumbled, leaning forward to kiss Castiel again.

Dean's kiss was far more aggressive than Castiel's had been and before he knew it, Dean had picked him up and was walking him over to the bed, their lips only parting for a moment when Dean sat him down.

As the kiss continued, Castiel ran his finger nails down Dean's bare back, making him moan into his mouth.

"Timeout," Dean said suddenly, pulling away from Castiel.

Looking up at him, Castiel tilted his head slightly to the side, silently asking Dean why he wanted to stop.

"Don't give me that look, baby. I just need to get a few things in order," Dean laughed, putting the condom and lube he had clenched in his hand on Castiel's bedside table.

Once his hands were free, Dean turned his attention to removing Castiel's shirt, throwing it on the ground when he was done.

"Better now?" Castiel questioned impatiently as Dean switched his position so that he was straddling Castiel's hips.

"Almost, there's just one more thing," Dean said, looking down at him.

"What's that?" Castiel inquired.

"I'm sorry if this all came off a little presumptuous. You know there's no pressure, right? I'm not just assuming you want to have sex with me," Dean explained quickly, the words flying out of his mouth.

"Dean, calm down. I want this, like, more than you'll ever know," Castiel teased, trying to get Dean to relax.

"Yeah?" Dean asked cockily, smirking at Castiel.

"Definitely," Castiel replied.

"Good, but can I ask you one more question?" Dean inquired, blushing furiously.

"You know you can," Castiel said, reaching up to run his fingers though Dean's hair.

"How in the hell are you so relaxed right now? I'm sweating fucking bullets," Dean confessed, taking Castiel by surprise.

"You think I'm relaxed? Are you crazy?" Castiel asked, shaking his head.

The fact that Dean truly believed he wasn't freaking out about the whole situation was absurd to him, especially considering that he felt as though he were going to have a heart attack from the anticipation.

"What if it's terrible, Cas? I don't have a fucking clue what I'm doing," Dean admitted, biting his bottom lip nervously.

"It won't be terrible, Dean. I don't know the first thing about this either but we'll figure it out together," Castiel reassured him.

"I've just thought about this for a really long time…and I don't want you to have a bad first experience," Dean said, his confession shocking Castiel.

"Whoa, a really long time?" Castiel inquired, raising an eyebrow, "How long have you been planning to bed me, Winchester?"

"Truthfully? Since you did that presentation in Mrs. Miles' class about ancient Greece. You had on your cute little reading glasses and that ridiculous Star Wars shirt…I just remember thinking you were so damn hot and how I wanted to hear you say my name as I fucked you hard," Dean told him, making Castiel's breath quicken, the effect of Dean's words going straight to his dick.

"Mrs. Miles' class?" Castiel managed to ask. "That was freshman year, Dean."

"You wanted to know," Dean replied simply, shrugging his shoulders.

"So you've seriously had feelings me, even if they were purely physically, for three fucking years?" Castiel questioned, hitting Dean in the chest with both his fists. "You beat the shit out of me at lunch after that presentation, for Christ's sake," he added, his blood boiling.

"I was pissed off, okay?" Dean said, raising his voice slightly, "I hated the way you made me feel so I got back at you by kicking your ass."

"What?" Castiel asked incredulously, unable to believe what he was hearing.

"Can we please just drop this?" Dean questioned, rolling off of Castiel to lie beside him.

"No fucking way, you can't just say something like that and expect me to let it go," Castiel said, turning on his side to face Dean.

"Fine! I was an even bigger idiot back then than I am now, alright? I couldn't stand myself for liking dudes and there you were everyday at school, reminding me about how disgusting I felt…So yeah, hitting you made me feel better," Dean confessed, looking up at the ceiling.

"Do you still feel like that?" Castiel wondered, trying to process everything Dean was telling him.

He didn't know which piece of information was more shocking, the fact that Dean had been attracted to him since freshman year or that he had just admitted he used to beat the hell out of Castiel because of it. On one hand, it infuriated Castiel to know that Dean had been taking out his personal frustrations on him for all those years, but at the same time, a part of him couldn't blame Dean for not being able to cope. It wasn't like Dean had a stable support system at home. And Castiel knew all too well how difficult it was to come to grips with being different from everybody else around him. Even with the support of his mother and his siblings, Castiel had still struggled for a long time with his sexual orientation, especially with the way homosexuality was viewed in Anderson. He knew Dean, being raised to think that the way he was feeling was sinful and wrong, probably panicked and resorted to violence because that was the only constant in his life.

"I did at first…but then we got close and this turned into more than just a physical attraction," Dean said nervously.

"Dean, look at me," Castiel ordered, turning Dean's head so that they were looking each other in the eyes, "Do you truly think what we have between us is wrong?"

"No, absolutely not. You're the only person besides Sammy in my life that makes me feel like I'm worth a damn," Dean admitted, his green eyes shining with sincerity. "But it's hard not to doubt myself sometimes, Cas. My whole life I was taught to hate fags so I'm sure you can imagine how hard it is for me to accept that I am one…or at least half of one anyway," he added, huffing in frustration.

Sighing, Castiel replied by leaning forward to press their lips together.

"I don't think what we have is wrong either, and I want you, despite all the bullshit we've been through with each other, and I'm going to prove to you that there is nothing disgusting about being the way you are even if it's the last thing I do," Castiel promised, after a long, sensual kiss.

"How can you still want to be with me after what I just told you? I'm an asshole, Cas. And I'm worthless," Dean said, letting out a defeated sigh.

"Because I love you," Castiel blurted out, bringing a shocked expression to Dean's face. "And you're not worthless, babe, you're just confessing and scared," he added, placing his hand on Dean's cheek.

In response, Dean crashed his lips against Castiel's, making a moan as he pushed his tongue into the other's mouth.

"I don't fucking deserve you," Dean mumbled, breaking the kiss a little while later when he finally had to take a breath.

"Yes, you do," Castiel argued, peppering little kisses all over Dean's face.

Pressing their lips together once more, Dean didn't bother to reply, dropping the subject to focus on ridding Castiel of his basketball shorts.

Helping him, Castiel quickly pushed the material down his legs before tossing it on the floor with his shirt.

"You're so gorgeous," Dean whispered, his eyes taking in every detail of Castiel's body.

He then reached down to stroke Castiel's dick, which was already half hard, making him buck his hips.

Wanting to speed things up, Castiel tugged at the fabric covering Dean's bottom half, working with him until his sweatpants, along with his boxers, joined the pile of Castiel's clothes on the ground.

"Right back at you, babe," Castiel teased as Dean trailed kisses down his body, not stopping until he reached his waistline.

Letting out a sharp gasp, Castiel felt a jolt of pleasure spread through him when Dean nipped at his right hipbone.

"Lift up your legs," Dean ordered suddenly, Castiel complying so that his feet were flat on the bed and his knees were bent.

Sitting up, Dean then kissed the inside of his right thigh before biting down hard on the sensitive flesh.

"Holy shit, Dean," Castiel whimpered, his dick throbbing in response to the sensation.

"You ready baby?" Dean asked, spreading Castiel's legs a little wider, "You sure you don't want me to stop?"

"I'm ready, just please don't stop," Castiel pleaded, his heart beating rapidly.

Nodding, Dean leaned over to grab the small bottle of lube he had sat on the table next to Castiel's bed, opening it and pouring a generous amount in his right hand.

Once his fingers were slick with the lukewarm gel, he then slipped his hand between Castiel's legs, massaging his balls.

"Dean, for once can you not tease me?" Castiel asked, gripping tightly at the tops of Dean's shoulders.

"Where's the fun in that, Cas?" Dean questioned, a wicked grin on his face as he circled his index finger around Castiel's tight hole.

"Let me guess? You want me to beg for it?" Castiel inquired, sitting up halfway to playfully nip at Dean's collar bone.

"Always," Dean confirmed, making Castiel shout out in pleasure as he wrapped his hand around his dick, pumping his fist lazily.

"Dean, fuck me, please? I need to feel you inside me," Castiel begged without shame.

"How do you want it, baby?" Dean asked, his voice completely wrecked as he slowly pressed one finger inside Castiel, "Do you want me to fuck you hard?"

As Dean worked him open, Castiel struggled to find his words, feeling a shiver run up his spine every time Dean's finger rubbed against his prostate.

"Yes, please, Dean," Castiel finally managed to moan a little bit later when Dean slipped a second finger into him.

"Fuck, I could listen to you beg for my dick all night," Dean said, leaning forward to kiss Castiel roughly.

Biting at Dean's bottom lip, Castiel trailed the tips of his fingers down his back before smacking Dean's ass forcefully with his left hand.

"Please, babe, I want you so bad. I'm ready," Castiel mewled, feeling Dean's erection pressed against his stomach.

"Alright baby, I'll give you what want," Dean agreed, pressing a quick kiss to Castiel's lips before carefully removing his fingers.

Whimpering at the loss, Castiel held on to Dean's hips as Dean reached over to grab the condom he had sat next to the lube.

Opening the package with his teeth, Dean quickly rolled it onto himself as Castiel watched, his stomach filling with butterflies.

"I'm going to start out slow, okay?" Dean asked, tossing the empty condom wrapper to the side.

"Mmhm," Castiel replied, too nervous to speak.

"If you need me to stop at any time just let me know, you got it?" Dean questioned, putting a little bit more of the lube in his hand so he could rub it over his dick.

"I've got it, babe, just fuck me," Castiel gritted out, making Dean laugh.

Then, doing as he was told, Dean gingerly pushed into Castiel, the both of them letting out little noises of pleasure.

"You okay?" Dean asked, looking down at Castiel.

"Yeah, I'm good," Castiel replied as Dean pulled out of him slightly before thrusting his hips again.

The action, although it stung a tiny bit, felt ten times better to Castiel than Dean's fingers had.

"Do you want me to move faster?" Dean questioned after giving Castiel some time to adjust.

"I want you to fuck me like you said you were going to," Castiel told him, looking up at Dean, his eyes hooded with lust.

Smirking, Dean answered by slamming into Castiel, making him shout out in pleasure.

"Louder baby," Dean said, sinking his teeth in to his chest as he rolled his hips upward, filling Castiel completely.

"Holy fuck, Dean!" Castiel yelled, forgetting the fact that they weren't alone in the house.

"That's it," Dean praised as he continued to move, Castiel tugging at his hair.

"Harder, please," Castiel begged, so close to his release even though Dean he barely touched him.

"Turn over," Dean ordered abruptly, pulling out of him all the way.

Hastily complying, Castiel got on his hands and knees, not having to wait long before Dean was back inside him, hands gripping at his hips for leverage.

"Mmm, Dean that feels so fucking good," Castiel moaned as Dean continued to pound into him.

"You like that, baby?" Dean asked, reaching around his body to stroke Castiel's dick.

"Yes! Faster, please!" Castiel shouted, feeling his orgasm building.

"I want you to say my name when you cum, Castiel. I want to hear the pleasure in your voice," Dean said, slamming into him so hard that when his hips met Castiel's ass there was a loud pop.

"Fuck!" Castiel breathed out, gripping tightly at the sheet on his mattress.

"Come on baby, let go," Dean whispered, pumping his fist one last time before Castiel came, spilling his seed all over Dean's hand.

"DEAN!" Castiel called out, feeling the effects of his orgasm throughout his entire body.

Hearing Castiel seemed to be enough to send Dean over the edge and with a couple more thrusts of his hips he found his release as well.

"Damn," Dean panted, removing himself from Castiel gently.

Collapsing onto the bed, Castiel lay flat on his stomach, his body humming from the afterglow of his orgasm as he shut his eyes.

Letting out a deep breath, he noticed Dean settling down next to him as he ran his fingers though Castiel's hair.

"That was fucking amazing," Castiel mumbled, feeling Dean lean over to kiss his neck.

"I'm glad I didn't screw up your first time," Dean teased, nipping at his shoulder.

"Even if it wasn't perfect, which it totally was by the way, you couldn't have screwed up my first time, Dean. Because it was with you and that's all I wanted," Castiel said, opening his eyes to focus on the boy lying next to him.

"Because you love me?" Dean asked, looking so vulnerable Castiel could barely handle it.

"Because I love you," Castiel confirmed, pulling Dean into a kiss.

TO BE CONTINUED…


	22. Above All Else, Guard Your Heart

Castiel wasn't sure when he had fallen asleep, and confusion clouded his mind as his eyes fluttered open when he heard the sound of thunder rumbling above him. The last thing he remembered was being curled up in Dean's arms, talking about nothing in particular.

Yawning, Castiel noticed that there were raindrops hitting the roof as he turned his head to check his clock, realizing it was nine in the morning. Rolling over, his confusion was increased when he found that Dean was no longer laying next him in the bed. Castiel sat up and looked around to find that all of Dean's belongs were gone, including his leather jacket that he had hung over the back of Castiel's computer chair.

"Really, Dean?" Castiel mumbled under his breath, trying not to let his mind race as he got out of bed.

Quickly pulling on his basketball shorts, he then went downstairs, hopeful that maybe Dean was still there.

However, once he reached the kitchen, Castiel's dreams were dashed when he saw his brother and sister at the table eating breakfast, Dean nowhere to be found.

"Dude, I can't believe you actually came down here to do the walk of shame," Gabriel said, chuckling between bites of his waffle.

"What?" Castiel questioned, the short four hours of sleep he got making him sluggish.

"You seriously don't know what I'm talking about?" Gabriel inquired as Anna looked down at her plate, blush creeping onto her cheeks.

"No, really, what'd I miss?" Castiel asked, taking a seat at the table.

"Not much, just the fact that everybody in this house, and I'm pretty sure a couple of the neighbors, know that Dean made you his bitch last night," Gabriel explained, causing Castiel to choke on air.

"Oh my God, I'm going to crawl into a hole and die," Castiel groaned, putting his face in his hands.

"Imagine how we feel," Anna chimed in.

"Hey, but on the bright side, my little brother got laid!" Gabriel congratulated, reaching over to pat Castiel on the shoulder.

"Men," Anna huffed, rolling her eyes.

"Speaking of the guy that rocked your world last night, where is the little shit?" Gabriel asked, suddenly aware of Dean's absence.

"Your guess is as good as mine," Castiel sighed, getting up to pour himself a glass of apple juice.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Anna interjected, noticing the sad tone of her big brother's voice.

"When I got up this morning he was gone," Castiel admitted, taking a sip of his drink as he sat back down.

"I warned that bastard," Gabriel seethed, slamming his fist on the table.

"Don't jump to any conclusions, Gabe. Maybe Sam needed him? Or maybe he just had something to do and didn't want to wake me up to say goodbye. I'm sure he'll text me later with an explanation," Castiel said.

"Please, Cassie, do you hear yourself? This is Dean freaking Winchester we're talking about. I'm sorry to say it but he probably got what he wanted and made a break for it," Gabriel told Castiel, not thinking about the effect his words would have on his little brother.

"You don't know Dean, Gabriel. He wants to be with me, it's not just about sex," Castiel argued, trying to hide just how bad Gabriel's words had hurt him.

"He's a player, little brother. I know this might make me sound like an ass, but it's for your own good. Do you really think you're the first person he's told that line to?" Gabriel asked, making Castiel see red.

"Dean loves me, Gabriel," Castiel said, hoping with all his might that his words were true.

"Cassie, I know you have strong feelings for him and right now you're thinking that you'll never feel the same way about another person but you're young, kiddo, and you've still got a lot to learn about love," Gabriel sighed.

"Whatever," Castiel spat, hating how petulant he sounded.

Not wanting to fight anymore, Castiel got up from the table without another word to go back to his room.

"Is he going to be okay?" Castiel heard Anna ask Gabriel as he left the kitchen.

"I sure hope so, baby sis," Gabriel replied before Castiel was out of earshot.

**XXXX**

As it turned out, Castiel was not okay.

After spending the rest of the weekend calling and texting Dean and failing to get a reply, he was nearly out of his mind with worry. Furthermore, Castiel's situation did not improve when he showed up to school Monday morning to find that Dean had gone back to ignoring him in person as well, even though he had promised he wouldn't.

Not having a clue what he could have done to make Dean act this way, Castiel asked him for an explanation for five days, not listening to Pamela's pleas for him to just let it go and move on to someone better.

However, by the end of a very long, unsuccessful week of trying desperately to get Dean to tell him what had happened, he was finally done. And when Saturday morning rolled around, Castiel was so sleep deprived and restless he couldn't even be sad anymore. All he felt was anger.

Getting out of bed that morning, he immediately called in sick to work, not emotionally stable enough to be around the assholes Bobby had for customers. Considering it was rare when Castiel asked for time off, Bobby didn't give him any hassle, wishing him well before hanging up the phone. Once he had taken care of that situation, Castiel then headed downstairs, trying to figure out what he should do next.

"Castiel, honey, can I talk to you?" Mrs. Novak asked from her seat on the couch, looking over at him as he reached the bottom of the stairs.

"Sure, what's up?" Castiel questioned, walking over to stand into front of his mother.

"Are you okay, my sweet boy? You've been off for the last week. And those dark circles under your eyes are worrying me…not to mention your lack of appetite," Mrs. Novak said, clearly concerned about her son's wellbeing.

"I'm fine, momma…," Castiel reassured her as impulsive thought popped into his head. "I'm just gonna go for a walk," He added, moving to slip on the pair of flip flops he had left near the love-seat.

"At eight a.m. in your pajamas?" Mrs. Novak asked incredulously as Castiel exited the house, shutting the door behind him without replying.

Once outside, Castiel noticed the wind rustling through a large tree in the yard across from his, dark, ominous clouds looming over his head. Trying to ignore the cold breeze biting at his skin, he marched straight over to Dean's house, walking up the porch steps with purpose. Reaching the front door, he began to pound on it furiously, not caring about the possible consequences of his actions.

Several minutes later, Sam answered, his hair a mess, looking as though he had just woken up.

"What's wrong?" Sam asked, trying to hold back a yawn.

"I need to talk to Dean," Castiel said, pushing passed the younger boy.

"Sure, come on in, he's in his room. But I'm pretty sure he's asleep," Sam called after him sarcastically as Castiel climbed the stairs.

When he was in the hallway, Castiel quickly walked over to Dean's door, opening it without bothering to knock.

Entering the room, Castiel's blood turned white hot in his veins as he saw Dean sleeping peacefully on his bed.

"Get up, you son of a bitch," Castiel shouted, making his way across the room to kick Dean's mattress.

"What the fuck?" Dean barked, looking up to see Castiel standing over him.

"You're a lying asshole," Castiel seethed as Dean unsteadily got to his feet, still half asleep.

"Cas, I…," Dean began say, but was unable to finish his sentence when Castiel's fist connected with his cheek.

"I trusted you!" Castiel yelled, hitting Dean again. "I stuck up for you! And all for what? So you could fuck me and leave me?"

"I never wanted this!" Dean shouted back, no longer disoriented. Dodging another punch from Castiel, he then retaliated by shoving him hard in the chest. "I never wanted to be your boyfriend or for you to fall in love with me," he added, his voice shaky.

Stumbling backward, Castiel's lower back hit Dean's computer desk as he stared at him, trying to hold back tears.

"Yes you did, Dean. You're just too much of a coward to admit it," Castiel spat, standing his ground when Dean walked forward to get in his face.

"Why can't you just give up on me? I'm not worth your time," Dean gritted out, grabbing Castiel by the collar of his shirt, "I can't even tell you…"

Staring into Dean's eyes, Castiel saw how conflicted he looked, like he had a secret that was tearing him apart inside.

"You can't even tell me what, Dean? That you love me?" Castiel asked, reaching up run his fingers through Dean's hair, trying to comfort him.

"Yes…," Dean mumbled, a single tear rolling down his left cheek. "And it's because I'm a homophobic jackass who can't even be honest with himself, let alone anyone else. Why can't you see that? Why can't you see that you deserve better?"

"You're good enough for me, Dean. And I don't think you truly believe all that anti-gay bullshit you spout. We both know that you just say that nonsense to benefit someone else's agenda," Castiel said, referring to Dean's father. "And I don't care how long it takes for us to work things out; I know we can do it. You're the only person I want," he added, kissing Dean softly on the lips.

"No, don't even stand there and try to argue," Dean ordered, taking a couple steps backwards so that he was out of Castiel's reach. "You deserve so much better. You deserve someone who isn't terrified to admit that even though he likes girls, he's also attracted to guys. Someone you can introduce to your friends and family without him being worried that it will get back to his buddies at school that the two of you are together. Someone who isn't mortified to tell his father that he's been seeing a guy for fear of being disowned. Castiel, you should be with someone who will hold your hand in public and do it with pride. You deserve someone who will take you out and make you feel like a prince. You deserve so much better than the way I treat you…"

As Dean's voice trailed off, Castiel found himself choking back a sob, his throat tight and eyes blurry with tears. It broke his heart into a million pieces to hear Dean, the boy who was always so in control, finally voicing all of his fears, showing Castiel he wasn't the emotionless jackass that he pretended to be.

"I don't care about any of that, Dean. I just want you," Castiel said after a short moment of silence, his voice trembling as he tried not to cry.

"Jesus Christ, Cas," Dean gritted out, his jaw clenched.

"You can think whatever, Dean but I want to be with you. And I don't care about all the other bullshit. I don't care if we have to keep our relationship a secret. It's worth it if I get to be with you," Castiel told him earnestly.

"That's not fair to you," Dean replied in the most heartbreaking tone Castiel had ever heard him use.

"I don't care," Castiel repeated. "I love you, Dean."

"You shouldn't," Dean stated, shaking his head.

Castiel was just about to argue when he heard movement from behind him, turning his head to see Sam standing at Dean's door.

"Don't say that, Dean," Sam ordered, walking into the room.

"How long have you been listening to our conversation?" Dean asked, the color draining from his face.

"Long enough to know you're being ridiculous," Sam retorted, folding his arms over his chest.

"Sammy, it's not what you think," Dean said nervously.

"You don't have to lie to me, Dean. It's okay," Sam reassured his older brother.

"…You aren't upset? Or at least surprised?" Dean questioned, furrowing his eyebrows.

"Of course I'm not upset! A little surprised, sure, but not upset…Actually, knowing what I know now really explains why you've been moodier than normal and all of your strange behavior for the last couple of months," Sam stated, making Castiel chuckle. "But seriously, dude, how could you think I would be upset? You're my big brother, I've got your back no matter what, remember?" he asked, smiling over at Dean.

"I remember, Sammy," Dean replied, returning the gesture of affection.

"Good, but you know what I am upset about? That bullshit I heard you saying just a minute ago. It's clear that you like Castiel, man. I've seen the way you've been looking at him lately. And now he's here, pouring his heart out to you and you're seriously standing there trying to say you two shouldn't be together? All because you're worried about what other people will think? Fuck them dude, do what makes you happy," Sam said, causing Castiel to smile from ear to ear.

"But dad…," Dean mumbled, Sam holding up his hands to cut him off.

"What about that alcoholic bastard? He's an idiot. If mom were here she'd want you to be yourself, no matter what," Sam told him, his voice softening at the mention of their mother.

"Sammy, don't…," Dean whispered, Castiel instantly wanting to wrap his arms around him when he heard the vulnerability in Dean's voice.

Mary Winchester, Dean's mother, who Castiel remembered as a sweet and gentle woman, had passed away when Dean was seven from lung cancer. Before she got sick, she and Dean were inseparable. Castiel had a ton of memories of seeing Dean and his mom playing out in their front yard and of her baking him pies, always baking an extra to bring over to Castiel's family. Everything Castiel could remember about Mary Winchester was bright and hopeful including his memories of Dean being an innocent, optimistic child with nothing but love and happiness in his heart. It was clear there was a part of Mary inside Dean that allowed him to be hopeful, gentle, and caring.

And when Mary died, Castiel saw that part of Mary fade from Dean slowly but surely, leaving a hole in his heart. Over the years, that hole had been filled with anger and grief. Worst of all was the way John Winchester handled his son's turmoil, by adding fuel to the fire. It was no secret that John felt like he had lost everything when his wife had passed away and he vented that pain and misery onto his boys, Dean getting the brunt of it, taking it for Sam's sake. And after a while, that part of Mary that Dean carried inside of him was covered up by a hard, cold exterior that resembled John. That was why Dean was so terrified to admit to himself that he was bisexual. He had forgotten his mother's love and understanding, focusing solely on his father's anger and close-minded ways.

"You know it's true, Dean," Sam said.

"I'm scared, Sammy," Dean confessed, looking from his little brother to Castiel.

"That's okay, dude, Castiel and I are here for you," Sam replied, rushing forward to hug his big brother.

"When'd you become such a shrink?" Dean asked, wrapping his arms around Sam.

"Just shut up and work things out with your boyfriend," Sam retorted, ducking when Dean tried to ruffle his already ratted hair.

"Sam! Dean! Why the hell are you making so much noise?" Castiel heard John Winchester shout suddenly, his voice echoing from down the hall.

"Fuck," Dean whispered, panic replacing the happy look that had been on his face.

"You two get out of here, find somewhere to talk. I'll handle Dad," Sam told them, determination in his voice.

"Sammy," Dean protested, clearly not wanting to leave his little brother.

"It'll be okay, Dean. Go," Sam replied, not taking no for an answer.

Letting out a defeated sigh, Dean nodded, grabbing Castiel by the hand to lead him downstairs, stopping only to grab the keys to the Impala and his cell phone that had been on a charger in the kitchen before heading out the front door.

"Where are we going?" Castiel asked, Dean releasing his hand when they got to the car.

"I've got a place in mind," Dean stated simply, getting into the driver's seat.

Knowing that it wouldn't do him any good to continue trying to get information out of Dean, Castiel joined him in the front seat, putting on his seatbelt as Dean backed out of the driveway.

Even when they were on the road, Dean didn't even bother to turn on the radio. And much to Castiel's surprise, he remained silent, not even shooting Castiel a sideways glance. After a while, he was extremely curious as to where Dean was taking him, his heart pounding against his ribcage when Dean turned off onto a dirt road that led into the woods just outside the town line.

Ten minutes later, Dean turned down another road, this one a narrow, one way path that took them to a broken down old cabin in the middle of nowhere.

"My parents used to take Sammy and me here in the summertime to fish," Dean explained, parking the Impala under the small carport next to the building. "There's a little stream about three miles north."

"When was the last time you were here?" Castiel asked as Dean turned off the ignition.

"The summer before my mom died," Dean answered somberly, getting out of the Impala.

Following suit, Castiel quickly exited the car, jogging to catch up with Dean, who was already making his way through the front door of the cabin. Entering the musty room a few seconds later, Castiel closed the door behind him, its rusted hinges squeaking as he did so.

"My mom loved it up here," Dean stated suddenly, drawing Castiel's attention away from the noise.

Looking around, Castiel instantly noticed that Dean was standing in front of a large, intricate fireplace that was located on the far left side of the room, his hands in the pockets of his sweat pants. Upon further inspection, Castiel could see that Dean was staring intensely at a small, dust covered picture on the mantle as he walked up behind him.

"I can't image how much you must miss her," Castiel said sadly, close enough now to clearly see the photo that had Dean so mesmerized.

The image was of Mary, her arms around Dean, who couldn't have been more than five when the picture was taken, the both of them laughing.

"Whatever, dude. We really don't have to reflect on my tragic childhood," Dean spat, finally looking away from the picture.

"Dean, please, you can talk to me," Castiel told him, wrapping his arms around his waist, resting his chin on Dean's right shoulder.

"I don't want to talk," Dean huffed in frustration, his body tensing at the contact.

"Well, you need to. You've needed to for a long time," Castiel whispered, daring to speak his mind.

For so long Castiel had watched Dean hide his emotions, venting his anger and sadness by harassing others. And even when they were kids, Castiel had ignored his aggression, even though he knew Dean needed someone to help him. Granted, he didn't realize just how bad things would get, being far too young to understand the pain Dean was going through but he couldn't turn away from him now. Especially with how deeply in love he was with the beautiful but broken boy standing in front of him.

"Fuck you, Novak. You a grief counsellor now?" Dean asked bitterly, separating himself from Castiel.

"Don't do this, Dean, please," Castiel said, placing his hands on Dean's chest, trying to stop him from heading toward the door.

"Get your hands off me," Dean warned, the tone of his voice sending a chill down Castiel's spine.

"No," Castiel challenged, hoping he didn't sound as scared as he felt. "You can take a swing at me if you have to but I'm not letting you go. Just talk to me, please?"

"What the hell do you want me to say?" Dean asked, his bright green eyes void of emotion.

"Anything you want to. Talk about your mom, talk about us, shit, talk about John if you need too, just don't hold it in anymore. For once, just tell me why you feel the need to act the way you are. You can tell me anything, I won't judge you," Castiel said, making Dean scoff.

"Fine, you want to hear something?" Dean questioned, his body trembling with anger. "Well here you go, I miss my mom so much I can't even explain the pain I feel when I think about her."

Remaining silent, Castiel nodded, allowing Dean to grab ahold of his shoulders with both hands, feeling his fingers clenching at the fabric of his shirt as Dean struggled to maintain his composure.

"Most of the time I feel numb but there are days that the pain is so intense it almost brings me to my knees," Dean continued, his words sending a sharp pain through Castiel's heart. "And you want to know the worst part? I can't even tell my dad how bad it really is, cause you know what he'd say? 'Suck it up boy. You think you're the only one that misses your mom? She was my wife, for Christ's sake. How selfish can you be?' Selfish. Isn't that rich? Selfish for missing the woman who tucked me in at night and sang me her favorite Beatles' song to get me to fall asleep. He thinks I'm selfish for missing the woman who would hug me when I was scared, who would take care of me when I was sick, who wouldn't be upset or ashamed because I'm…"

"Dean…," Castiel whispered, hearing Dean's voice faltered.

"And Sammy? He barely remembers anything about her," Dean added suddenly, shaking his head in frustration.

It seemed that Dean was finally listening to Castiel, not holding back anything as he told him what was truly weighing on his mind.

"That's understandable, he was just a baby when she passed away," Castiel said, using his thumb to brush a tear away from Dean's cheek.

"Yeah, well it sucks, Cas. It sucks that Sammy never got the opportunity that I did to get to know her. And Sammy knows he can't ask dad about her, not without…So who do you think he asks? His big brother. The guy who's supposed to be there for him no matter what. I'm supposed to teach him and explain things when he doesn't understand. But I can't talk about her…I can't even tell my little brother about his own mom. He's asked me about her once since she's been gone…and you know what I did? I snapped at him. What kind of an asshole yells at a kid for wanting to hear about his mother?" Dean asked as Castiel fought back tears. "Sammy shouldn't have to grow up being afraid to ask about her. It's not fair. And that's the kind of shit I think about constantly, what I deal with every day. But that can't be enough, no, on top of it all, now I have to worry about my feelings for you."

"Why? Why do you have to worry about your feelings for me?" Castiel asked, looking up into Dean's eyes.

"Because if my dad ever found out that the one person who makes me feel good about myself and takes away some of my heartache was a guy, a guy I've fallen in love with no less, he'd do everything in his power to take that away from me," Dean said, his confession shaking Castiel to his core. "He's already taken away my ability to talk about my mom and the happiness her memory used to bring me and I know he'd find a way to ruin what we have too."

"And that's why you ran this time?" Castiel questioned, his frazzled nerves causing him to feel sick to his stomach.

"I was hoping you would just finally give up on me... that way I could try to pretend that what we have isn't special…that way I could fool myself into thinking I don't need you as bad as I really do," Dean admitted, letting out a surprised gasp when Castiel's lips crashed into his.

"You can't keep doing this, babe," Castiel whispered, his chest heaving after the passionate kiss Dean and he had just shared.

"I don't know what I'm doing anymore, Cas," Dean said, wrapping his arms around Castiel.

"It's okay, Dean. We'll figure it out. But you gotta let me in. You can't hide your feelings about us or your mom or anything else that is bothering you. You have to let me help," Castiel told Dean, hugging him tightly.

"I don't want to lose you," Dean mumbled against Castiel's shoulder.

"Then stop running away every time you get scared and start coming to me with your problems," Castiel huffed, pulling back to look Dean in the eyes.

"God, but I feel like such a pussy…I can't believe I just ranted at you like that," Dean replied, Castiel noticing he was shaking.

"That's what I'm here for, Dean. I'm your boyfriend and I want you to tell me about things that make you sad or happy or angry. I want to know how you're feeling and to help you when I can. Tell me the truth, after letting all that out don't you feel the slightest bit better?" Castiel asked.

"…I kind of do…I can't explain it, but yeah," Dean admitted.

"Good, I'm so glad to hear that. I just want you to be happy, babe. And I know you're worried about your father but there is nothing he can do to change the way I feel about you," Castiel said, offering Dean a weak smile.

"I'm sorry…baby, I'm so sorry for what I did and for all the unnecessary pain I put you through," Dean apologized, bending down to press their foreheads together. "It's just after last Saturday...I started second guessing myself, wondering how I could be so lucky to feel as amazing as I did…And then all of the shit that I just told you about came rushing into my head and I freaked."

"I forgive you, Dean," Castiel said, closing his eyes as he leaned against him.

"I…I love you Castiel," Dean whispered.

"I love you too, Dean Winchester, so much," Castiel replied, letting Dean pull him into a kiss.


	23. Confessions and Insecurities

Castiel and Dean were in the middle of a heated kiss when an ear-splitting clap of thunder shook the windows of the rickety cabin.

"Damn, we better get moving before it starts pouring. The roads out here flood easily and I'm not about to risk getting my baby stuck in a mud puddle," Dean said, giving Castiel a quick peck on the lips before walking over to the door.

Following him, Castiel was just about to make a sarcastic comment about Dean's unhealthy relationship with his car when he noticed the sound of something dense hitting the roof.

"That doesn't sound like rain," Castiel stated, watching as Dean opened the door to reveal golf ball size hail falling to the ground.

"Oh hell no," Dean huffed, shutting the door so hard that Castiel couldn't believe it didn't fall off its hinges.

"Since it looks like we're going to be stuck here for a while, can I borrow your phone to let my mom know I'm okay?" Castiel asked trying not to laugh at Dean's over-the-top reaction to the hail.

"Yeah, of course," Dean replied, fishing his phone out of his pocket and handing to Castiel. "I'll go see if I can find anything we can use to light a fire," he added while walking off into the other room, leaving Castiel alone to make his call.

Dialing his mother's cell phone number quickly, Castiel pressed talk, having to wait several seconds before the call went through.

"Hello?" Mrs. Novak answered, after three rings.

"Hey Momma, it's Castiel," he said, hearing his mother sigh with relief at the sound of his voice.

"What did I tell you about running off and causing me to worry?" Mrs. Novak asked angrily.

"I'm sorry Momma, I forgot my phone…," Castiel apologized.

"Please tell me you are somewhere out of this storm? The weather channel says there's a tornado warning for Anderson," Mrs. Novak informed him in a panicked tone.

"Yes ma'am, I'm safe," Castiel said, not really sure if his current location was truly a safe place to be, but lying all the same for his mother's sake.

"And where exactly is 'safe'?" Mrs. Novak inquired as Castiel saw Dean re-enter the room, his arms full of firewood.

"It's old, but it should do," Dean whispered, before walking over to kneel in front of the fireplace.

Nodding his understanding, Castiel contemplated what he should tell his mother. However, he didn't get a chance to come up with anything before he heard his father's voice on the other end of the line.

"Young man, I demand to know where you are," Mr. Novak barked, making Castiel roll his eyes.

"I'm with a fr-," Castiel began but decided to go a different route. "I'm with Dean Winchester," he admitted, making Dean turn around to stare at him, a book of matches clenched in his hand.

"You're next door?" Mr. Novak questioned suspiciously.

"No sir, we're at his family's cabin just outside of town," Castiel explained, Dean not taking his eyes off him.

"Why in the hell are you out there?" Mr. Novak asked, clearly confessed.

"Because we needed a quiet place to talk," Castiel stated simply.

"Since when do you and Dean Winchester talk?" Mr. Novak inquired.

"Since we started seeing each other in January," Castiel confessed, hearing Dean's breath hitch in his throat as his eyes went wide with horror.

"What did you just say?" Mr. Novak asked with contempt.

"Dean and I have been together since January," Castiel repeated defiantly.

"Castiel Joseph Novak, I want you home right now. I will not tolerate you being associated with that boy. He's nothing but trouble…I should have known he was…," Mr. Novak said, his voice trailing off.

"You should have known he was what, dad? Just because you think he's a bad person it makes sense to find out that he likes guys? Well you know what? Fuck you, you judgmental, homophobic asshole," Castiel spat before aggressively hanging up the phone.

"Holy fucking shit," Dean breathed out, "I can't believe you just did that."

"Yeah, well, it's not exactly fair for me to stand here and tell you not to care about what your jerk of a father thinks if I don't practice what I preach," Castiel explained, shrugging his shoulders.

Trying to calm himself, he took a deep breath, shaking from the rush of adrenaline that had just shot through his body. Castiel had wanted to tell his father off for a very long time, but it had been nerve wracking all the same.

"You didn't have to do that," Dean told him.

"Yes, I did. He doesn't know anything about you. I'm tired of hearing him judge someone based on other people's assumptions without actually getting to know the person he claims he hates," Castiel said as Dean got up to give him a kiss.

"Thanks for sticking up for me, baby," Dean replied, smiling down at Castiel as his phone started to ring.

Looking at the caller ID, Castiel instantly recognized Gabriel's number.

"Gabe?" Castiel answered, confusion evident in his voice.

"Please tell me you are halfway to Timbuktu by now," Gabriel demanded.

"How'd you get Dean's number?" Castiel asked, ignoring his older brother's comment.

"The caller ID off of Mom's phone, duh," Gabriel replied sarcastically. "She set it down on the coffee table when she had to stop Dad from punching a hole in the wall."

"Did he tell her what I said?" Castiel inquired, smiling at Dean who kissed him on the tip of his nose before returning to his task of trying to light a fire.

"Ohhh yeahhh, Anna and I overheard him ranting at her while we were in the kitchen," Gabriel explained.

"I'm not even sorry. He pissed me off," Castiel said, not bothering to justify his actions with details.

"Dude, I'm so proud of you for finally telling that asshat what's what," Gabriel congratulated, making Castiel beam with pride.

"Thanks, big brother," Castiel replied.

"So, I'm assuming you are going to lay low for a while?" Gabriel asked, Castiel noticing that Dean had successfully got a flame going.

"You assume correctly. And not just cause of dad. It's hailing and Dean would punch an infant before he drove his car through it," Castiel told his older brother, earning a chuckle from Dean.

"I totally believe that," Gabriel said. "Okay, well, just keep me updated."

"Will do," Castiel confirmed. "Bye Gabe."

"Bye Cassie," Gabriel answered before hanging up.

"Too bad we don't have a deck of cards," Dean said once Castiel was off the phone, standing up to walk over to the widow next to the front door.

Pulling the curtains back, dust floated into the air as Dean wiped the dirty glass with his hand to give them a clear view of what was happening outside.

Looking closely, Castiel noticed that it was still hailing; rain now coming down with it.

"I wish we had a blanket and some hot chocolate," Castiel replied as a flash of lightening streaked across the sky.

"Unfortunately, I can't do anything about the hot chocolate, but I might be able to find you a blanket," Dean said, heading over to the stairs located on the opposite side of the room. "I'll be right back," he added, ascending the steps.

"Wait, don't leave me down here by myself," Castiel pleaded, the flames flickering in the fireplace casting eerie shadows on the walls.

"Don't worry Cas, this place isn't haunted, trust me," Dean reassured him, a cocky smile on his face.

"Yeah, and I suppose you're the one who checked it for ghosts?" Castiel called after him sarcastically as Dean disappeared upstairs.

Receiving no response, Castiel sighed loudly, trying to suppress a chill that had suddenly spread over his body.

Moving across the room, he then decided to sit down on the couch positioned in front of the fireplace in an attempt to get warm.

"You're in luck, baby, I found one of my old blankets in the bedroom Sammy and I used to share when we came up here on vacation," Dean said suddenly from behind him, making Castiel jump out of his skin.

"Can you not sneak up on me while we are alone in the woods in some dark, creepy cabin?" Castiel asked, his heart pounding rapidly.

"Like I said, gorgeous, you've got nothing to worry about," Dean chuckled, sitting down next to him on the right side of the couch so that his back was against the armrest.

Leaning sideways, Castiel laid against Dean, helping him spread the blanket out over the both of them.

"Right, cause my macho man boyfriend is going to save me from the evil horror movie monster that I'm picturing is going to pop out any minute and try to kill me," Castiel scoffed, snuggling up to Dean.

"Pretty much, yeah," Dean stated simply, wrapping his arms around Castiel.

"My hero," Castiel mocked, turning his head so he was looking up at Dean.

"Whatever, go ahead and make fun of me. We'll see who's laughing when I end up having to torch a wendigo that decides you look like a tasty snack," Dean grumbled under his breath.

"A what?" Castiel asked as another clap of thunder rumbled above them.

"What?" Dean shot back, looking at Castiel innocently.

"Don't play coy with me, Dean Winchester. What the hell is a wendigo?" Castiel questioned, eyeing him suspiciously.

"…Never mind, can I see my phone? I need to text Sammy," Dean said, seemly desperate to change the subject.

"I hope you know you're acting shady as fuck right now," Castiel told him, handing Dean his cell.

"Some would say I act shady as fuck 99% of the time, so you probably shouldn't worry about it," Dean retorted.

"Are texting Sam to check on him?" Castiel asked, not wanting to argue.

Nodding, Dean hastily typed out a message on his touch screen before hitting the send button.

"I just want to make sure my dad didn't…if that bastard hurt him I swear…," Dean threatened, stopping short when he received a quick reply from Sam.

"Is he okay?" Castiel inquired.

"Yeah, he's okay. Apparently my dad didn't even get up," Dean explained, breathing a sigh of relief.

"Good, because I would have personally helped you kick his ass if he had laid a hand on Sam," Castiel said, making Dean smile.

"Sammy is pretty tough, I think we'd have to beat him to it," Dean joked, sending Sam back a message explaining where he was before putting his phone in his pocket.

Settling down, Castiel and Dean then began talking as they sat on the couch wrapped in each other's arms, watching the storm continue to rage outside.

**XXXX**

"What are your plans for after senior year?" Castiel asked almost an hour later when the topic of their conversation had somehow switched to school.

"Dude, I don't know. Not all of us are overachieving honor students who've known what they've wanted to do with their life since they were five," Dean chuckled.

From a very young age, Castiel had dreamed of becoming a museum curator and had decided when he turned twelve that he would attend Stanford, mainly for their Egyptology department, even if it killed him. That was why he had worked his ass off his entire academic career, doing everything in his power to be recognized by the prestige university.

"What can I say? I know what I want," Castiel teased, sticking his tongue out at Dean. "But seriously, you must have some idea of what you want to do."

"I'll probably just start working for Bobby full time," Dean stated simply, shrugging his shoulders.

"You don't want to go to college?" Castiel inquired, running his fingertips down Dean's chest lazily as he rested his head on his shoulder, "I bet you could totally get a football scholarship to UA."

"You think I'm good enough to play quarterback for the University of Alabama?" Dean asked, practically gushing with pride.

"I know you are. And if you did, it would give me an excuse to try to start understanding college football...well football in general. Plus, I could brag about how the quarterback for UA is my man," Castiel told him happily.

"Roll tide," Dean laughed, kissing Castiel on the forehead.

"Really though, what do you have to lose by checking into it?" Castiel asked.

"I don't know…I mean, come to think of it, coach did say that if I kept my grades up I could most definitely be eligible for a scholarship. And there were some scouts at our last game who said I had a future in the sport," Dean explained.

"Really?! That's fantastic! Why haven't you looked into it yet?" Castiel wondered.

"I don't know, Cas…Graduation isn't until May…I've got plenty of time to decided, right?" Dean questioned.

"I suppose…," Castiel said nervously.

"What?" Dean inquired, sensing that Castiel was uncomfortable.

"Nothing…It's just…Pamela and I applied for EA at Stanford…We got our acceptance letters in February," Castiel confessed, feeling Dean's body tense under him.

"Wait, what?" Dean asked, not bothering to hide how upset he was about hearing the information. "What the hell is EA?"

"It stands for Early Action, it just means we received an admission decision earlier than most students," Castiel explained.

Staring at Castiel, Dean sat there silently for a moment and Castiel could tell that his mind was spinning.

"Why are you just now telling me this?" Dean asked after a while.

Taking a deep breath, Castiel tried to gather his thoughts, knowing that Dean was beyond pissed at him.

"We weren't exactly in a great place when I found out…And honestly when I realized that you might actually care if I left Alabama…I was too scared to tell you," Castiel told Dean, finally confessing the secret that had been weighing on him for almost a month.

"How could you keep something like that from me? I mean...I always knew you would get into Stanford, they'd be stupid not to accept you…but fuck, Cas…Things are different now, I…" Dean said, his voice trailing off.

"I'm so sorry, Dean…I shouldn't have kept this from you…," Castiel apologized, Dean's reaction sending a sharp pain through his heart. "I mean…going to Stanford is my biggest dream and I wanted to tell you but at the same time it made me think about leaving and how much I'm going to miss you…," he added, leaning up to kiss Dean's lips.

"You're seriously moving to California?" Dean asked sadly, looking as though his whole world had come crashing down around him.

"Yeah, but not until late September," Castiel explained, trying and failing to comfort Dean.

"That's just a fancy way of saying you'll be gone in six months," Dean spat, turning his head away from Castiel.

"Dean, it'll be okay. I'll be home for all of the major holidays and we can talk every day on the phone," Castiel told him, grabbing Dean's chin to make him look him in the eyes.

"That is until you met some tanned douche bag who owns a surfboard and wants to recite poetry while the two of you take long walks on the beach," Dean grumbled.

"Really, Dean? I tell you I'm willing to put in the effort to make a long distance relationship work and you respond with jealousy? Jesus, I've said it before and I'll keep saying it until it sticks, there isn't a man on this planet, no matter how tanned his skin or how romantic he is, that can compare to you," Castiel stated, making Dean roll his eyes.

"Baby, while that's probably the most adorable thing I've ever heard, it's also the most naïve," Dean replied.

"It's the truth," Castiel huffed, sitting up so that he was no longer laying against Dean. "I know we could make a long distance relationship work…I only wish you felt the same."

"…We can barely make our relationship work now, Cas. And in California you could find somebody who is open about his sexuality and…just better than me in general," Dean mumbled, staring at Castiel with sadness in his eyes.

"Damn it, Winchester. I'm so sick and tired of being the only one fighting for us to be together. What do I have to do to prove that you're the only man I want?" Castiel demanded, pushing away the blanket that had been wrapped around him.

"…I'm sorry Cas, I just….I just can't stand the thought of being 2,000 plus miles away from you…And damn my mind but I can't help but think about the fact that you could find a great guy over there…I wouldn't even blame you for wanting to move on from me," Dean said.

"Dean, I hate the thought of being away from you too, but we'll find a way to deal with it," Castiel told him, moving to sit in Dean's lap, straddling his hips so that they were facing each other. "And don't say shit like that, I already have a great guy and I don't have any plans to move on from him anytime soon," he added, kissing Dean gently.

Sighing, Dean shook his head, reaching up to put his hands on Castiel's hips.

"Ugh, all I can picture is a whole bunch of blond haired tree-huggers hitting on you while I'm five states over wasting my life replacing spark plugs and doing oil changes," Dean huffed.

"Well, you can take comfort in the fact that I'll let any guy that approaches me know right away that I already have an extremely hot and ridiculously jealous boyfriend who would have no problem walking to California from Alabama just to kick his ass if he tried anything with me," Castiel said, smirking at Dean.

"You're damn right," Dean agreed. "I don't think you understand, Cas, the thought of another guy even looking at you in a sexual way makes my blood boil."

"Dean," Castiel sighed, running his fingers though his hair, "I don't think YOU understand. There isn't a damn thing another guy can do to win me over because my heart belongs to you."

"You promise we'll talk every day?" Dean asked abruptly, his old habit of feeling uncomfortable about expressing his emotions coming into play.

Nodding, Castiel smiled at him, letting the subject drift for Dean's benefit.

"Absolutely, as many times as you want," Castiel agreed, leaning down to nip at Dean's left earlobe playfully. "You can even teach me how to have phone sex," he whispered softly, Dean sliding his hands down to his ass in response, giving it a light squeeze.

"Mmm, you talking dirty is one of my favorite things," Dean replied as Castiel trailed kisses down his jawline before moving a little lower to suck at his neck, leaving a hickey.

"Any chance that you have magical Mary Poppins' pockets like you did last Saturday?" Castiel questioned hopefully, looking up at Dean.

"You kind of took me by surprise this morning, Cas. I might always be looking to get laid but I don't sleep with lube and condoms in my sweatpants," Dean said, trying not to laugh.

"That's what I was afraid you were going to say," Castiel sighed, giving Dean a peck on the lips.

"I'm sorry baby," Dean apologized.

"It's okay, I just…," Castiel began, having difficulty making himself speak.

After a short pause, Dean raised his eyebrows, curious as to what had Castiel so flustered.

"You just what, Cas?" Dean inquired, noticing that Castiel was blushing.

"…I just…I haven't been able to stop thinking about how good it felt when you were inside me," Castiel forced himself to say, fighting his shyness to talk dirty for Dean.

"Oh yeah?" Dean asked, watching as Castiel slide his hands down his chest, grabbing the hem of his shirt to pull it over his head.

"Mmhm," Castiel replied, tossing Dean's shirt to the side before leaning down to kiss the tattoo on his chest, "It was fucking incredible…I even…I even touched myself thinking about it…About how you fucked me so hard that I could barely stand the next day…."

"Fuck," Dean whispered, his fingers gripping Castiel's ass cheeks so tight he knew it was going to bruise.

Leaning forward, Castiel ran his tongue along Dean's bottom lip before taking it between his teeth and tugging at it roughly, causing Dean moan.

"I can't tell you how many times I got off thinking about it…And you know what sent me over the edge every time?" Castiel asked, grinding his body downward against Dean's crotch.

In response, Dean bucked his hips, making Castiel realize just how hard he was.

"Tell me baby," Dean demanded, looking up into Castiel's eyes.

"It was the thought of you, completely in control, making me scream your name," Castiel breathed out, pressing his forehead against Dean's as he tried to steady himself.

By that point, he was so painfully hard he could barely function and the way Dean was staring at him was only making it worse.

"Show me," Dean said suddenly, leaning forward to nip at Castiel's jaw.

"…Dean…I don't…," Castiel stuttered.

"Do what you're told, Cas," Dean ordered.

Biting his bottom lip nervously, Castiel's stomach filled with butterflies as he nodded his head, not putting up any more of a fight.

Reluctantly getting off of him, Castiel mentally cursed himself for enjoying it when Dean bossed him around like this.

"Yes sir," Castiel mocked, Dean shooting him a filthy, suggestive look in return.

Taking a deep breath, Castiel then removed his shirt, throwing it over to join Dean's. Next, with trembling hands, he hooked his thumbs in to the waistband of his pajama pants, pulling them and his boxers down so that he was completely naked.

Stepping out of the material, he saw Dean lick his lips, his eyes greedily looking over every part of his body.

"Dean, if you don't stop staring at me like that I'm afraid this won't last very long," Castiel whispered, a warm sensation pooling in the pit of his stomach.

"I can't help it baby, you're just so fucking hot," Dean replied, his voice low and gravely, sending a shiver up Castiel's spine.

Tentatively, Castiel closed his eyes, reaching down to wrap his right hand around his dick, beginning to stroke it slowly.

"Is this what you want, Dean?" Castiel asked lustfully, swiping his thumb over the tip, smearing the leaking pre-cum.

"Yeah, just like that, Cas," he heard Dean reply as he threw his head back, picking up the pace of his motion.

"Dean," Castiel moaned, focusing on the memory of Dean fucking him as he had been told to do.

"Do you remember, baby? Do you remember me pounding into you, leaving marks on that flawless skin of yours?" Dean questioned, sounding as though he had gotten up from the couch.

"Yes, it felt so fucking amazing," Castiel answered, continuing to move his hand.

"Do you like it when I mark you?" Dean asked, now on his knees in front of Castiel.

"Yes," Castiel breathed out, feeling Dean's tongue against his skin, licking and sucking at his left hip bone.

Taking that as his cue, Dean bit down on the exposed flesh, causing Castiel to gasp, his body tingling with a mixture of pleasure and pain.

"Mmm, fuck," Castiel whispered, his hand faltering for a moment before reestablishing the rhythm he had set.

"That feel good, baby?" Dean inquired.

"So fucking good," Castiel responded, knowing that Dean liked him to be vocal.

Kissing the spot he had just sank his teeth into, Dean then gently pulled Castiel's hand away from his dick, making him whimper.

Opening his eyes, Castiel looked down at Dean as he reached up to curl his fingers around his hips.

"Tell me you're mine, Castiel," Dean ordered.

Remaining silent for a moment, Castiel took a minute to gather his wits, unable to believe the affect Dean's possessive behavior had on him. He knew somewhere in the back of his mind that he shouldn't like it, but he just couldn't make himself care.

"I'm yours, Dean, only yours," Castiel said, threading his fingers into Dean's hair as he took him into his mouth.

Letting out a loud, guttural moan, Castiel closed his eyes once more as Dean bobbed his head a couple times before deep-throating his dick.

"Holy fuck," Castiel gasped, Dean humming in response.

Then, pulling back, Dean slipped Castiel's dick out of his mouth, massaging his tongue against the slit.

"You gonna cum for me, Cas?" Dean questioned, moaning when Castiel tugged at his hair.

"Yes, Dean, please, just keep going," Castiel replied, thankful when Dean began to blow him again.

It wasn't long before the hot, wet feeling of Dean's mouth on his dick was too much for Castiel, his eyes rolling back in his head as he found his release, shouting Dean's name.

"I'll never get tired of hearing that," Dean said, after swallowing like a pro.

"And I'll never get tired of your sexy fucking mouth around my dick," Castiel replied, as Dean got up.

Before Dean could respond, however, Castiel began tugging at his sweat pants, working them downward until Dean was naked as well.

"Whoa, we are you doing?" Dean asked as Castiel pushed him backward onto the couch, opening his legs to kneel between them.

"I'm returning the favor," Castiel said seductively, leaning forward to slide Dean's dick into his mouth.

"Motherfucking hell," Dean gritted out as Castiel hollowed out his cheeks, eagerly bobbing his head up and down.

Lying back, Dean closed his eyes, biting his bottom lip so he wouldn't make noise.

"Don't you dare," Castiel warned, abruptly stopping what he was doing.

"Cas," Dean whined at the loss of contact.

"Don't hold back, do you understand me?" Castiel asked, reaching up to grip Dean's chin between his index finger and his thumb, forcing him to look at him.

"I understand," Dean confirmed, the end of his lips turned up in a small smirk.

"Good, cause I want to hear you, baby," Castiel said, using Dean's words against him.

"You're such a litt-," Dean began, but was unable to continue when Castiel took him in his mouth once more.

As he started to move again, Dean reached forward with his right hand, grabbing a fist full of Castiel's hair.

"Faster, Cas," Dean ordered, Castiel complying without hesitation as he tried his best to copy Dean's skill.

It ended up taking him a lot longer to get Dean off, his stamina still far better than Castiel's, but the extra effort was worth it when Dean finally found his release, obeying Castiel by screaming his name as he came.

"Holy shit," Dean whispered, blowing out a deep breath through his mouth after Castiel had worked him through his orgasm.

"Was that okay?" Castiel asked timidly, Dean leaning forward to wipe away a little bit of cum that had rolled down his chin.

As it had turned out, for Castiel, swallowing wasn't as easy as Dean had made it seem, and even though he knew Dean would never judge him, he was slightly embarrassed.

"That was better than okay, baby. That was…perfect," Dean praised, pulling Castiel into a passionate kiss.

"I love you," Castiel mumbled against Dean's lip.

"…I…I love you too, Cas," Dean replied, smiling down at him affectionately.

Returning his smile, Castiel got up from the ground, letting Dean turn sideways on the couch, putting his back flat to the cushions before Castiel positioned himself on top of him, laying his head against his chest.

"It's still really coming down out there," Castiel said, grabbing the blanket he had pushed to the side earlier to cover their naked bodies.

Looking out the widow, Castiel noticed that the rain was so heavy that he could barely see the landscape.

"Yeah, which means I can take a nap," Dean responded, closing his eyes.

"You're gonna pass out on me?" Castiel whined.

"Well, maybe if some little bitch didn't wake me up at ass o'clock in the morning I wouldn't be so tired," Dean said, letting out a small grunt when Castiel playfully slapped him on the chest.

"Whose fault was that, fuckface? Don't ignore me," Castiel shot back, making Dean belly laugh.

"I love it when you get feisty," Dean teased, his voice low and Castiel could tell he was fighting not to fall asleep.

Rolling his eyes, Castiel remained silent, pressing a kiss to the spot above Dean's heart.

"Hey, Dean?" Castiel questioned a little bit later, hugging Dean tightly around his waist.

"Hhhmm?" Dean mumbled.

"We are going to make our relationship work, I promise. Don't worry about me going to California, okay? It doesn't matter what state I'm in; I'll always be yours," Castiel said, meaning every word.

"I know, Cas. I'm sorry for being such an asshole earlier…I just don't want to be separated from you…," Dean admitted groggily, keeping his eyes shut.

"It's okay, babe, trust me, I know how you feel," Castiel confessed, feeling Dean's breath become shallow, realizing that the green eyed boy lying under him had fallen asleep.


	24. Fighting For You

Unable to fall asleep, Castiel found himself deep in thought as he lay there on top of Dean, feeling his chest rise and fall as he took slow, restful breaths. Even though Castiel was sure that Dean and he could make a long distance relationship work, their recent discussion on the matter had him dreading his impending departure from Alabama. It wasn't that he was having second thoughts about going to Stanford; it was just that the mere thought of being that far away from Dean had him on the verge of a panic attack. Castiel hated that he had just told Dean not to worry about them being separated when there he was distraught over the idea of leaving him.

Trying to calm himself down, Castiel looked up slightly, staring at the boy who had turned his life into a rollercoaster ride of emotions. He still couldn't comprehend, and probably never would, the affect Dean had on him and how he had fallen for him so hard and so fast. Studying the sleeping boy, Castiel caught himself smiling, mesmerized by how peaceful and beautiful Dean looked in that moment.

'Oh God, I'm one of those weirdoes that watches their boyfriend sleep,' Castiel thought to himself, groaning internally.

Letting out a soft sigh, he then sat up slowly, maneuvering himself off the couch as carefully as possible so he didn't wake Dean. Once on his feet, Castiel covered Dean back up with the blanket before grabbing his pajama pants from the floor to put them on. Next, he retrieved Dean's cell phone from the pocket of his sweats to send Gabriel an update.

Typing out a quick text message, Castiel had just pushed the send button when he noticed the clock at the top of the screen read 12:30 p.m. They had been at the cabin for almost two hours and, although it had stop hailing, the rain was showing no signs of letting up. Deciding to stretch his legs, Castiel had just began to walk toward the stairs, his curiosity running wild, when he felt Dean's phone vibrate in his hand.

Reading the text, he had to hold back a laugh when he saw that Gabriel had made a sarcastic comment about the fact that Castiel was probably enjoying his "little honeymoon" with Dean, as he put it. Smiling mischievously, Castiel proceeded to send his big brother a reply that read "you don't even know the half of it," before continuing his adventure to the second story of the cabin. Reaching the hallway at the top of the stairs, Castiel used Dean's cell phone as a flashlight, opening the first door he stumbled upon.

Peering inside, Castiel had to take a minute to adjust his eyes to the darkness of the room, squinting to see a large four-poster bed, which was perfectly made, centered against the far wall. Taking in his surroundings, he could only assume that this was the master bedroom and immediately shut the door out of respect for the fact that the room was probably once shared by Mary and John Winchester.

Moving on, it didn't take long for Castiel to find another door, this one across the hall. Opening it, he saw two twin sized beds, knowing immediately that at one point, the room was no doubt inhabited by Sam and Dean. Entering the dusty, cobweb filled quarters, he lifted Dean's cell phone up to look around, noticing that both beds were equipped with superhero sheets and that there were hot wheels scattered all over the floor.

Upon further inspection, Castiel saw that there was a small table that separated the two beds, walking over to pick up a framed picture that sat alone on top of it. Taking a seat on the bed closet to him, he shined the light from the phone down onto the image. The photo, as Castiel soon found out, was of five year old Dean holding a fish that was almost bigger than him, wearing a shit eating grin on his face. John was also in the picture, his arm around Dean, looking extremely proud. Staring down at the old, faded image in his hand, Castiel couldn't help but feel sad. John and Dean seemed so happy and close back then, which was nothing like the relationship they had now.

"I nearly drowned trying to reel that fish in," Castiel heard Dean say, causing him to almost drop the picture in his hand.

"Jesus Christ," Castiel breathed out, turning his head to catch sight of Dean, who was standing in the doorway, leaning his right shoulder against the frame.

Focusing his eyes, even in the dim light Castiel could see that Dean hadn't bothered to put his sweatpants back on, his lower half only covered by his boxers which were sitting provocatively low on his hips.

"Whatcha doing up here?" Dean asked, folding his arms over his chest.

"Just looking around…," Castiel replied nervously from his spot on the bed. "I'm sorry…I didn't mean to intrude."

Noticing that Castiel seemed worried that he had crossed a line, Dean pushed himself off the wall, coming up to stand in front of him.

"You don't have to apologize, Cas. It just worried me when I woke up and you were nowhere to be found," Dean explained, taking the picture out of Castiel's hand to set it back in its place.

Once the photo was safe on the table, Dean ran his fingers through Castiel's hair before massaging the base of his skull with his fingertips. In response, Castiel brought his left hand up to Dean's hip, leaning forward to place a gentle kiss to his stomach just above his bellybutton.

"I didn't mean to worry you, babe. I just couldn't sleep so I started wandering," Castiel explained, looking up at Dean.

"And I see you've found the mother lode of my embarrassing childhood possessions," Dean laughed, referring to the Superman sheets Castiel was sitting on.

"Aw, don't worry. I think your wittle Superman sheets are adorable," Castiel teased, earning a dirty look from Dean.

"Come here, I want to show you something I think you'll appreciate even more than these sheets," Dean said, pulling Castiel up from the bed before taking his hand to lead him out of the room.

Intertwining their fingers, Castiel allowed himself to be herded into the master bedroom, Dean walking him over to the dresser that was pushed up against the left wall.

"Oh my God," Castiel giggled, focusing the light from the cell phone on a large picture Dean was pointing to, which sat among many other images on the dusty wooden structure.

"How's that for embarrassing but adorable?" Dean asked, smiling sheepishly.

The photo he had brought to Castiel's attention was of Dean, decked out in a Superman costume, red cape and all, holding baby Sam who was sporting a tiny shirt with the Batman logo on it.

"I was four when Mom took that picture. Obviously, Sammy wasn't old enough to go trick or treating, but that didn't stop me from wanting him to be dressed up too. That's why Mom put him in that shirt. I just remember not wanting to put him down…I seriously carried him around the house half the day pretending we were fighting crime together," Dean reminisced, looking affectionately at the picture.

Listening to Dean talk so sweetly about his little brother, Castiel couldn't stop himself from leaning over to kiss him tenderly on the lips.

"Not that I'm complaining, but what was that for, baby?" Dean inquired, resting his forehead against Castiel's.

"For being too precious for words," Castiel cooed, making Dean roll his eyes.

"Ugh, okay that's enough girly shit for one day. Let's move on before we grow vaginas," Dean grumbled, separating himself from Castiel to head out the door.

Sighing loudly, Castiel didn't even bother to argue, following him as he went back down stairs.

"Looks like it's only sprinkling now," Castiel commented when he could clearly see out the window in the living room.

"Yeah, except I highly doubt the storm is over…But what the hell? You wanna try and make a break for it?" Dean asked, looking over his shoulder at Castiel.

"What about the Impala? Aren't you worried about the roads being flooded?" Castiel inquired, walking over to sit Dean's cell phone, which had been clinched in his right hand for quite some time, on the couch before picking up his shirt to put it back on.

"I mean, it's a concern but at this point I'm so fucking hungry I'd swim out of here if I had to," Dean confessed.

"Dude, I feel you," Castiel agreed, his stomach growling as he picked up the rest of Dean's clothes, tossing them to him.

"That's my boy," Dean laughed, quickly getting dressed.

Once they were both fully clothed, Castiel handed Dean his phone, Dean putting it in his pocket before grabbing his car keys.

"You know this is a bad idea, right?" Castiel asked, the two of them stepping out onto the porch.

"Come on, baby. Live a little," Dean teased before making a mad dash to the car, Castiel running after him as the rain began to pick up again.

"You're crazy and reckless, Dean Winchester," Castiel said when they were both securely in the Impala, their clothes soaked. "But I love you anyway," he added, smiling over at the green eyed boy.

"I love you too, Cas," Dean replied confidently, giving him a quick peck on the lips before starting the engine.

**XXXX**

Even though it ended up taking Castiel and Dean twice as long as it normally would have to get home because of the bad weather and the poor quality of the roads, they eventually made it, Dean letting out a sigh of relief as he pulled into his driveway.

"I changed my mind, we should go back to the cabin," Castiel huffed as Dean put the Impala in park before taking the keys out of the ignition.

Dreading having to face his father, Castiel remained glued to the passenger's seat, Dean turning to look at him sympathetically.

"Why I don't I go scope out my house really quick? If my dad's not awake I could sneak you into my room so you won't have to deal with your dad just yet," Dean offered, giving Castiel a small smile.

"No, it's okay babe. Besides, the longer he has to sit around and stew in his anger the worse my punishment is going to be," Castiel explained, kissing Dean on the cheek.

"Alright baby. Just call me later, okay?" Dean asked, running his fingers through Castiel's disheveled hair.

"Assuming that my dad doesn't take away my cell phone privileges, you will be the first person I contact once I'm done getting my ass chewed," Castiel told him, trying to make the best of a bad situation.

"Go give him hell, Cas," Dean said encouragingly, "And thanks again for standing up for me."

"Of course, Dean," Castiel replied, giving the boy in the driver's seat one last kiss before getting out of the car.

He then quickly ran across his lawn, rain pelting down on him as he ascended his front porch steps, slipping off his soaking wet flip flops so he could go inside.

Entering his house, Castiel didn't even have time to think before his father, upon seeing him walk through the front door, jumped off the couch where he had been sitting with Mrs. Novak to start in on him. Standing there, Castiel listen to his father rant, too stunned by his immediate verbal assault to move. As Mr. Novak yelled about how he wouldn't be disrespected by any of his children, Mrs. Novak stood behind him, remaining silent. However, she didn't seem in the least bit upset with her son, looking at Castiel as though she felt bad for him.

"And I absolutely forbid you to see Dean Winchester again," Castiel heard Mr. Novak say, turning his attention back to his father when he had concluded his long winded speech.

"Trying to keep me away from Dean isn't going to change the way I feel about him, Dad," Castiel stated, finally finding his voice.

"Honey, maybe we should hear Castiel out," Mrs. Novak chimed in.

"That might be so, but I will not sit back and let you ruin your life by wasting time on that boy," Mr. Novak seethed, ignoring his wife's interjection.

"You don't know anything about him!" Castiel yelled, letting his temper get the better of him.

"You're right, Castiel. I don't know the boy personally, but you know what I do know? I know that he's the person responsible for breaking your arm in eighth grade during a fight. I know that he's got a reputation for sleeping around and breaking hearts and I know for a fact that he's been arrested more than once for vandalism and assault," Mr. Novak shouted.

"He's just a kid, dad. A scared, confused kid who has made a lot of mistakes…but he's learning from them," Castiel said, defending Dean passionately.

"I know you mean well, son," Mr. Novak sighed, Castiel surprised by his sudden sensitivity. "You have always been one to try to see the good in people and you are a sweet kid but I'm telling you, he's not worth your time," he added in a final attempt to convince Castiel to stay away from Dean.

"I disagree," Castiel replied, standing his ground. "I'm not trying to say Dean is perfect by any means, Dad, but he's changed. If you would just give him a chance you could see that for yourself," Castiel explained.

He wasn't trying to make excuses for any of the terrible things Dean had done; he only wished that his father would give him the benefit of the doubt and realize that Dean was truly working on becoming a better person.

"I'm not going to keep arguing with you about this, Castiel. My decision is final," Mr. Novak stated sternly. "And you are grounded for a month. You will go nowhere except for work and school and you have lost your phone and television privileges."

"This is bullshit," Castiel challenged.

"Go to your room, now," Mr. Novak ordered, Castiel giving him the dirtiest look he could manage before stomping up the stairs in a fit of anger.

TO BE CONTINUED...


	25. You're My Heart

Reaching his room, Castiel slammed the door behind him, completely consumed by anger. He couldn't believe his father had the nerve to tell him that Dean was a waste of his time. Going straight over to his bed to sit down, Castiel grabbed his phone that he had left on the bedside table to text Dean. Typing out a huge, colorfully worded rant, he had just pushed send when he heard a knock on his door, his mother entering the room before he could tell her to go away.

"Let me guess, he sent you up here to get this?" Castiel asked, holding up his cell phone.

"I volunteered, actually. I thought it would be best if you two kept your distance from each other for a while," Mrs. Novak said, taking the device from her youngest son.

"I couldn't agree more," Castiel huffed.

"Castiel, honey," Mrs. Novak sighed, sitting down next to him on his bed, "You have to understand that your father is just trying to do what he thinks is best for you by telling you to stay away from Dean."

"What about you? Do you think that's what's best for me?" Castiel inquired, looking over at his mom.

"I don't know, sweetheart. But what I do know is that you believe something special is happening between you and Dean, and that it's worth fighting for," Mrs. Novak replied, cupping his left cheek in her hand.

"I know it sounds bizarre, but he means a lot to me, Momma," Castiel told her earnestly.

"I hear you, Castiel, but can you blame your father and me for being skeptical? Especially knowing the history between you two," Mrs. Novak said.

"No, I can't. I'd be the same way if I were in your shoes, but I swear, he's different now," Castiel explained.

"I want to believe you, I really do. And I'll try my best to convince your father to hear you out but as of right now, I agree with him about your punishment. The way you spoke to him was unacceptable," Mrs. Novak scolded, Castiel resisting the urge to roll his eyes.

"Yes ma'am," he agreed, not wanting to argue with her.

"I know you think your father is stubborn and insensitive, and honestly, sometimes he is, but I know for a fact that he loves you, sweetheart, and at the end of the day he just wants to keep you safe," Mrs. Novak told him, getting up from the bed.

"I know, Momma…," Castiel sighed as she leaned down to kiss his forehead.

Smiling warily, Mrs. Novak then left the room, shutting the door behind her. Once she was gone, Castiel let out a frustrated noise, punching his pillow to blow off some steam. However, instead of sitting there and letting himself get even more riled up, he decided his best bet would be to go take a shower and try to relax.

Grabbing a change of clothes and a towel, Castiel made his way to the bathroom, locking the door behind him before turning on the shower. He undressed quickly and got into the tub, the warm water feeling phenomenal against his skin. It felt so good in fact, that Castiel didn't even think about getting out of the shower until an hour later, his conscience finally getting the better of him for wasting so much water. He then got dressed, brushing his teeth before going back to his room to do some homework.

It was hard to concentrate, his thoughts primarily focused on Dean and not science, but he muddled through and by the time six o'clock rolled around, Castiel was completely done with all of his assignments. Breathing a sigh of relief, Castiel put his textbooks in his backpack before finally daring to venture downstairs because he was so hungry he thought he might pass out.

He had been too stubborn to go get anything earlier, not wanting to even be in the same house, let alone the same room as his father. However, his tune quickly changed when he started getting dizzy from his body's lack of nourishment.

"Well, what do you know? He lives!" Gabriel teased when Castiel entered the living room.

Looking over, he saw his older brother sitting on the couch with his mom, Anna in her spot on the love-seat with her kitten as he approached them.

"Mom's making cookies," Anna told him, the smell of fresh baked goods reaching his nose.

"Dear God, I'm ravenous," Castiel stated, inhaling deeply, filling his nostrils with the scent wafting in from the kitchen.

"How about I make you a grilled cheese while we wait for the cookies to get done?" Mrs. Novak asked just as the doorbell rang.

"That would be marvelous," Castiel said, smiling at his mother before walking over to answer the door.

Curious to see who had come by so late, Castiel's jaw nearly dropped to the floor when he realized that Dean was standing on his front porch, his clothes soaked with rain water, sporting a black eye and a cut, which was bleeding profusely, on the bridge of his nose.

Too stunned to speak, Castiel noticed that Sam was present as well, his arms wrapped around his big brother as he sobbed into his chest.

"I'm sorry baby, I know your dad isn't my number one fan right now, but I didn't know where else to go," Dean apologized suddenly, snapping Castiel out of his daze.

"It's okay, Dean. Please, come in," Castiel managed to say, stepping aside so Dean could gently maneuver Sam, who refused to let go of him, through the front door.

"Oh my goodness," Castiel heard his mother gasp upon seeing Dean's face as he entered the living room.

Shutting the door quickly, Castiel walked up Dean, cupping his boyfriend's cheek in his hand, studying the injury.

"I'm sorry for stopping by so late and unannounced, Mrs. Novak," Dean said, looking over Castiel's shoulder at her.

"It's quite alright, darling, it looks like you've had a rough night," Mrs. Novak replied, getting up from her seat to get a close look at Dean's cut.

Moving away so his mom could stand in front of Dean, Castiel saw that Sam was bleeding too, a small gash across his left cheek.

"Well, thankfully it doesn't look like your nose is broken," Mrs. Novak stated, pulling Castiel's attention back to Dean, "But we should get these cuts cleaned up ASAP."

"Hey Sam, I could clean your cut while you hold Charlie, if you wanted?" Anna suggested, coming over to stand next to Sam, who still had his arms around Dean, his sobs transformed into silent tears.

"Come on Sammy, you aren't going to turn down this pretty girl's offer, are you?" Dean asked his little brother when Sam didn't reply.

"…Okay," Sam mumbled, finally releasing Dean from the death-grip he had on him to take Charlie in his arms.

"The peroxide is in the upstairs bathroom, so follow me," Anna explained, offering Sam a warm smile before leading him to the second story of the house.

"I'll go get something to hold on Dean's nose so we can try to stop the bleeding," Gabriel chimed in, speaking for the first time since Dean and Sam had arrived.

"Good idea, thank you son," Mrs. Novak said as Gabriel disappeared out of the room.

When it was down to just the three of them, Castiel turned to Dean, noticing that his "calm, got to keep it together for Sammy" demeanor was gone replaced with fear and vulnerability as his eyes filled with tears.

"It's okay, babe, you're safe," Castiel found himself saying, pulling Dean into his arms.

"Cas," Dean whispered, squeezing him tightly.

"What happened?" Castiel asked, running his fingers through Dean's damp hair.

"My-….," Dean began, but stopped short, pulling away from Castiel a little to look at Mrs. Novak. "…Um, sorry to be a pain, ma'am, but do you think I could have some Advil?" he asked, the older woman narrowing her eyes at Dean's obvious attempt to get her out of the room.

"Of course," Mrs. Novak sighed, knowing that Dean wouldn't say anything else unless she was out of earshot. "I'll be right back," she added before going to the kitchen to retrieve the painkillers.

"John did this," Castiel said when his mother was gone, his words more of a statement than a question.

"…Yeah…because I told him….," Dean mumbled looking down at his feet.

"About us?" Castiel asked, shock and happiness struggling for dominance in his mind.

"Yeah, I told him, baby…After I saw the way you stood up to your dad, I knew I had to…Anyway, my dad was pissed as hell when I got home, wondering where I had been all day and I just snapped and said I'd been with someone I liked spending time with and it just kind of snow balled from there," Dean explained, talking a mile a minute.

"And when you told him you were with me…," Castiel whispered, his voice trailing off.

"He asked me why the hell I liked spending my time with you and I told him it was because I loved you," Dean said, leaning forward to press their foreheads together.

"So he hit you?" Castiel asked, his blood boiling.

"…He-…He threatened to kill me…and when he started throwing punches…Sammy tried to defend me," Dean told him, tears rolling down his cheeks.

"That motherfucking piece of trash," Castiel seethed, holding his tongue when he heard Anna and Sam coming back down the stairs.

"Hey, good as new," Dean said, separating himself from Castiel as Sam rushed toward him, embracing him once more. "It's okay, Sammy. I'm not going to let him hurt you ever again, you understand me?" he added, making his little brother look up at him.

"I understand, Dean," Sam blubbered, letting Dean wipe the tears from his cheeks.

"What's going on in here?" Castiel suddenly heard Mr. Novak asked, whipping his head around to see him descending the stairs.

"Dean and Sam somehow ended up with a couple of scrapes and bruises and need some help cleaning them up," Mrs. Novak interjected before Castiel could say anything, coming back into the living room in perfect time.

Handing Dean two Advil and a bottle of water, she then walked over to stand near her husband, the two of them engaging in a quiet conversation.

With all of the kids watching them closely, it wasn't long before Mrs. Novak turned around to face them, Mr. Novak standing behind her looking extremely annoyed.

"Dean, Sam," she said sweetly, "I'm not sure what happened to you two and as Dean has already made it clear, I can see that neither of you are in a hurry to tell me. But Mr. Novak and I just wanted to let you know that if you need a place to sleep tonight, our couch is open."

"Dean, can we stay here, please?" Sam asked immediately, staring up at his big brother with his signature puppy dog eyes.

"We'd love to take you up on your offer, Mrs. Novak, thank you so much for your hospitality," Dean said, making Sam squeeze him even tighter.

"You're very welcome, Dean," Mrs. Novak replied as Gabriel finally reappeared holding an old wash cloth. "Now, let's clean you up," she added, smiling at him.

**XXXX**

Once Dean's cut was cleaned and bandaged, Mrs. Novak made all the kids grilled cheese sandwiches. Thankfully, Mr. Novak, who was visibly livid, excused himself to turn in earlier for the night, making their meal a pleasant one. After devouring two sandwiches a piece, all the kids then dove into the cookies Mrs. Novak had made, stuffing themselves to the gills.

"Oh man, I'm dying," Gabriel said when they were done eating and had cleaned up the kitchen.

"Dude, right? I probably shouldn't have eaten three cookies," Sam complained, making Anna giggle.

"But they were so worth the tummy ache, right?" Anna asked, smiling at Sam.

"Absolutely," Sam agreed as they all made their way into the living room, Mrs. Novak going to the laundry room to grab Sam and Dean some sheets and blankets for the couch.

"Okay, well it's been real kids, but it's time for me to bid you ado," Gabriel said, waving goodbye to them.

"Bro, it's only ten," Castiel teased.

"Dude, get off me, I'm tired," Gabriel laughed, going to his room.

"I'm not going to lie Cassie, I'm pretty sleepy myself," Anna yawned as Mrs. Novak entered the living room, handing Dean and Sam the items she had retrieved for them.

"Why don't you head on up to bed, baby girl? Cassie and I will help Sam and Dean set up," Mrs. Novak said, hugging her youngest child.

"Night guys!" Anna called, releasing her mom to ascend the stairs.

"I'll take the love-seat," Sam stated, spreading the sheet Mrs. Novak gave him out on the piece of furniture.

As Castiel's mom helped Sam, Castiel worked with Dean to make the couch look fit for sleeping.

"I don't want you up any later than midnight, okay?" Mrs. Novak asked Castiel once everything was set up.

"Yes ma'am," Castiel replied, sitting down on the couch while Dean took off his leather jacket.

"Thanks for everything, Mrs. Novak," Sam said, already snuggled under his blanket on the love-seat.

"Yeah, thanks Mrs. N. This means a lot," Dean chimed in, taking a seat next to Castiel.

"You're both very welcome, good night darlings," Mrs. Novak cooed, blowing them a kiss before heading up stairs like Anna and Gabriel.

"Good night," came a chorus of voices, Sam closing his eyes once she was out of sight.

"You crashin', Sammy?" Dean inquired.

"Yeah…I'm sorry, Dean…I'm just so…," Sam mumbled, drifting in and out of consciousness.

"It's okay, little brother, good night," Dean said softly as Sam passed out.

"Well, I was going to suggest that we watch T.V., which I've been forbidden to do because I'm grounded, but I don't want to disturb him," Castiel whispered, smiling at Dean.

"Sorry baby, looks like we might as well hit the sack," Dean chuckled, trying to hold back a yawn.

"You're probably right," Castiel agreed, leaning over to press their lips together, his heart fluttering when Dean pulled him close, kissing him with everything he had. "I'm so proud of you for standing up to John, babe. I know it must have been hard," he added, making Dean smile.

"Thanks, Cas. We'll talk everything out tomorrow, I promise. For now, thank you for being there for me when I needed you. I love you so fucking much," Dean told him with sincerity, after their heated make out session.

"I love you too, Dean. Remember, you're safe here. He won't hurt you as long as I'm around," Castiel promised, kissing Dean one last time before getting up.

"Good night, baby," Dean whispered, laying sideways on the couch.

"Night," Castiel replied, reluctantly heading to his room.

**XXXX**

Despite being extremely full, and disgustingly mad about the fact that John had hurt not one, but both of his children, Castiel somehow managed to fall asleep pretty quickly. It actually wasn't that crazy that Castiel was so tired; he had gotten up quite early that morning and his day had been strenuous, or at least emotionally anyway. However, his much needed sleep was disrupted not even an hour later by someone shaking him awake gently. Opening his eyes, Castiel saw that Dean was standing above him, leaning down to kiss his cheek.

"Wake up, sleepyhead," Dean whispered as Castiel groggily sat up.

"What's going on, babe?" Castiel asked, stretching his arms over his head.

"I can't stop thinking about you," Dean admitted, Castiel coming out of his fog to notice the bulge in Dean's pants.

"Dean Winchester, you horny bastard! Did you seriously come up here to solicit me for sex? And where did those come from?" Castiel inquired, pointing to the small bottle of lube, which he recognized from the first time they were together, and a condom sitting on his bedside table.

"First of all, fuck yes. And secondly, I never took the lube out of my jacket pocket and I always keep a condom in my wallet," Dean explained, dodging a playful blow from Castiel.

"We can't have sex right now, if my parents hear us all hell will break loose," Castiel told him disappointedly.

"They won't hear us, baby. We'll just have to be quiet," Dean said, not giving up.

"Really? But isn't me screaming your name your favorite part of making me cum?" Castiel asked seductively, bending down to mouth at Dean's erection through the fabric of his jeans.

"Holy…shit…," Dean nearly shouted, slapping a hand over his mouth almost immediately.

"See? This is never going to work," Castiel teased, standing up to nip at Dean's jaw, palming at his dick with his right hand.

"Is that a challenge, Novak?" Dean asked, keeping his voice low.

"What if it was?" Castiel inquired, Dean replying by crashing their lips together.

"You know I'm not one to back down from a challenge," Dean said, removing Castiel's shirt before making short work of his pajama pants and boxers.

"Good, because I really want you to fuck me," Castiel answered, undressing Dean quickly.

"That's what I like to hear, baby," Dean cooed, helping Castiel rid him of his clothes.

Once Dean was completely naked, Castiel trailed his eyes down his body, making a face when he saw a couple of huge, dark bruises on his left side near his ribs.

"Did John…," Castiel started to ask but Dean cut him off.

"Please, Cas, I don't want to think about him right now," Dean said desperately, running his thumb over Castiel's lower lip. "I just want to focus on us."

Nodding, Castiel gently brushed his fingers against the purple marks on Dean's skin, conceding without a fight. Not that it was much of a surprise, it was well documented that Dean could get Castiel to agree to pretty much anything with those adorable green eyes and that southern charm.

"Alright, babe, alright," Castiel whispered, kissing Dean tenderly.

"You know, the whole time I was downstairs I couldn't stop thinking about all the things I want to do to you," Dean purred, forgetting the mention of his father to go straight back to where they had left off.

Then, lowering his mouth down to the left side of Castiel's neck, he latched onto the sensitive flesh with his teeth.

Wrapping his arms around Dean, Castiel had to bury his face in his shoulder to muffle the sound of a moan that involuntarily slipped passed his lips.

"And what exactly is it that you want to do to me?" Castiel asked once he had recovered from the surge of pleasure that had just flooded his veins.

"How about I show you?" Dean questioned, waiting for Castiel to nod his head yes before stepping back, confidence oozing out of him as he licked his lips. "Put your palms flat against the wall," he ordered, pointing to the stretch of clear space between the bedside table and the window.

Complying without hesitation, Castiel did as he was told, facing the wall as he put his hands flat on the smooth surface.

"Perfect," Dean praised, the tone of his voice sending a chill over Castiel's naked body, "Now spread your legs apart, just a little."

Biting his bottom lip, Castiel separated his feet as Dean walked up behind him, trailing his fingertips down his back.

"Like this?" Castiel asked; sweat starting to dip down his forehead from the anticipation.

"Just like that," Dean confirmed, drawing his hand back to slap Castiel on the ass.

"Mmm, Dean!" Castiel called out, his heart racing when he realized what he had done.

"That was a test, baby, one more screw up and I'll have to find something to gag that pretty mouth of yours," Dean teased, reaching around his body to stroke Castiel's rock hard dick.

"Dean, please, I can be quiet," Castiel assured him, pressing his lips together when the boy behind him sank to his knees, grabbing both his ass cheeks to spread them apart.

"We'll see about that," Dean taunted before using his tongue to trace Castiel's hole, Castiel doing everything in his power not to make noise, completely at Dean's mercy.

"Please, babe, I need you inside me," Castiel whispered, Dean continuing to lap at the ring of muscle.

"Always so pushy," Dean chuckled, licking up the crack of Castiel's ass, making his whole body shudder.

"I just want you so bad," Castiel confessed, digging his fingernails into the drywall.

"I know, baby, and you know I'll give you what you want," Dean said, placing little kisses against Castiel's right ass cheek before sinking his teeth into the delicate skin.

Pressing himself against the wall, Castiel muffled a strangled moan with the surface, his dick throbbing from the sensation.

"You're doing so well for me, Cas," Dean said, as Castiel separated himself from the wall once more, trying to maintain his composure.

"I think I've earned a reward, don't you?" Castiel asked, glancing over his shoulder at Dean, a mischievously sparkle in his eyes.

"That you have, baby," Dean agreed, wrapping his left arm around Castiel waist before bringing his right hand down to slowly stroke his dick.

"Mmm," Castiel mumbled, resting his head back against Dean's shoulder, loving the way Dean was making him feel.

"You like that, Cas?" Dean whispered in his ear, making Castiel moan in response.

"Yes, it feels so fucking amazing," Castiel said, feeling Dean press his erection against the small of his back.

"You want me to fuck you now?" Dean asked, giving Castiel's dick one last tug before stepping back.

"Fuck yes," Castiel confirmed, accidently taking one of his hands off the wall in excitement.

"Castiel, what were you told to do?" Dean questioned, grabbing a handful of his hair.

"Keep my palms flat on the wall," Castiel told him, immediately resuming his position.

"And you aren't going to move unless I tell you to, right?" Dean inquired, nipping at his jaw.

"Right," Castiel agreed, pleasure pooling in the pit of his stomach due to the air of dominance surrounding Dean at that moment.

"That's my boy," Dean said, slapping Castiel's ass in the same spot, this time Castiel being able to hold his tongue.

Smirking, Dean then reached over to grab the half empty bottle of lube from the table, Castiel hearing him pop open the cap before he slicked up his fingers with the substance.

"Oh fuck," Castiel whispered under his breath when he felt Dean slide his index finger inside him.

"I can't wait to feel this tight little hole around my dick," Dean said, working him open as he leaned forward to bite Castiel's right shoulder blade.

"Are you going to fuck me as hard as you did last time?" Castiel asked, whimpering when Dean's finger grazed his prostate.

"Is that what you want, baby?" Dean questioned, adding another finger after a while.

"Yes, I want you to fuck me so hard that I'll feel you for a week," Castiel told him, Dean choking back a moan.

"Cas, if you keep talking like that I don't make any promises," Dean said, making Castiel laugh softly.

"Babe, please, your fingers feel amazing but they are nothing compared to your dick. Its fucking mind blowing how phenomenal it feels when you pound into me. Oh, fuck, and the way you fill me up, making me want to scream your name over and over until I cum so hard that it takes my breath away," Castiel continued, his voice husky and low.

"Fuck, okay," Dean panted, removing his fingers from Castiel so he could put on the condom. "You win, baby," he added, before pushing into him hard enough to make Castiel's chest press against the wall.

"That's it, Dean, harder," Castiel ordered, Dean complying by grabbing Castiel's hips, pulling him backward to meet every thrust of his hips.

"I love seeing you like this, Cas, so obedient and desperate for my dick," Dean whispered lustfully, sliding his right hand down Castiel's abdomen, before slowly working at his erection once more.

"Dean," Castiel called out, a little bit too loud, bracing himself against the wall as Dean's pace quickened.

"Ssshhh baby," Dean hushed, Castiel biting his bottom lip to try to stop the filthy noise his boyfriend was causing him to make.

"Fuck, Dean," Castiel breathed out, unable to help himself as Dean's dick repeatedly hit the sweet spot inside him.

To keep Castiel quit, Dean had no other choice but to put his left hand over his mouth, muffling the sounds a little.

"You mouthy little slut," Dean teased, slowing down his thrusts, knowing Castiel was on the verge of his release.

In response, Castiel bit down on Dean palm, making him grunt.

"You love it," Castiel mumbled against Dean's hand.

"Yes, I really do," Dean agreed, pumping his fist around Castiel's dick a couple more times before he finally came, the muffled sound of Dean's name filling the room as Castiel blew his wad all over the wall and his lover's hand.

"Oh, fuck yes," Castiel whispered, Dean working him through his orgasm.

"Watching you cum is so fucking satisfying," Dean said, removing his hand from Castiel mouth to run it through his sweat soaked hair.

Turning his head, Castiel kissed Dean, open mouthed and filthy, licking and sucking at his lips.

"Your turn, babe," Castiel panted, his chest heaving when he finally broke the kiss.

"I need you to do one thing for me first," Dean said, trying to catch his breath.

"Anything you say," Castiel replied, Dean licking his lips as he smirked at him.

"When I pull out of you, I want you to turn around and put your right leg around my waist," Dean ordered.

"Done," Castiel confirmed, letting out a little whine at the loss of Dean's dick.

Obeying with urgency, Castiel quickly turned around pressing his back against the wall as he lifted his right leg to hook it around Dean's waist.

"Much better," Dean told him, pushing back into Castiel.

"I have to agree, the view has definitely improved," Castiel said, threading his fingers into Dean's short brown hair as he began to thrust his hips once more.

"Yes it has," Dean replied, reaching down to squeeze Castiel's ass cheeks.

Shooting him a flirty smirk, Castiel then leaned down, biting Dean's left pectoral muscle.

The action, simple as it was, was enough to send Dean over the edge, Castiel hearing him let out a soft little moan as he continued to buck his hips until he was boneless and gasping for breath.  
>Not bothering to move, the both of them slumped against each other, their bodies alive with the afterglow effects of their orgasms.<p>

"I love you, baby," Dean whispered, kissing Castiel on the cheek.

"I love you too," Castiel replied happily, smiling from ear to ear. "Will you stay with me for a while before you go back downstairs?" he asked.

"Of course I will," Dean replied, returning Castiel's smile.


	26. He That Is Not Jealous, Is Not In Love

_Author's note: Hello lovely people! Just a few announcements: First, this chapter is seriously like 10% plot, 20% jealously kink and 70% I don't even know. I apologize in advance. Lol Secondly, thank you all so very much for reading and commenting! I love y'all! And lastly, my updates are probably going to slow down a bit in the next couple of weeks because school is a little hectic. I promise I will try to update as diligently as possible! Please hang in there with me! 3_

_ENJOY!_

Early Sunday morning, Castiel was jarred awake by a monstrous clap of thunder. Bolting upright in his bed, he looked around nervously, his heart pounding from the sudden noise. The rain was still going strong and Castiel could hear it hitting the roof as he realized he wasn't in any danger.

'Jesus Christ,' he thought to himself, trying to steady his shaking body.

He took a deep breath and turned his head to see that Dean, who he remembered falling asleep next to, was no longer in his bed. Not thinking anything of his boyfriend's absence, Castiel got up from the mattress, and immediately regretting his decision. Everything from his waist down was sore as he hobbled across his room to the door.

Entering into the hall, Castiel realized that, despite his aching muscles, he wore a smile on his face that just wouldn't quit. What had happened between Dean and him the night before had been too amazing for words and the best part about it was that he knew, without a doubt, that the man of his dreams was still around. Dean could have gone anywhere when his father had freaked out on him but he had chosen to go to Castiel. For the first time in their relationship, Dean had run toward him instead of away and it felt absolutely incredible.

Reaching the bottom of the stairs, Castiel furrowed his brow in confusion when he noticed that Sam was no longer on the love-seat. Chalking up his absence to the fact that he was probably in the kitchen or the bathroom, Castiel quietly walked over to the couch to find Dean stretched out on his back, sleeping peacefully. Unable to resist the urge to be near his boyfriend, Castiel carefully lowered himself onto Dean, curling up on top of him.

"This is one hell of a wakeup call," Dean mumbled suddenly, his arms instinctively wrapping around Castiel.

"Morning Dean," Castiel said, lifting up so that he was hovering over him.

"Good morning baby," Dean replied, pulling Castiel down into a tender kiss.

However, what had started out as an innocent gesture soon became a more heated one when Castiel felt Dean's hands find his ass.

"Horny bastard," Castiel giggled, whispering the words against Dean's lips.

"Don't judge me," Dean teased before taking Castiel's bottom lip between his teeth to tug at it roughly. "You try having a smokin' hot guy with killer blue eyes and perpetual sex hair that is literally boner worthy lay on top of you and see if you can be behave," he added, slapping Castiel's left ass cheek playfully.

Shooting his boyfriend a cocky smirk to rival one of his own, Castiel leaned forward to kiss Dean again, sliding his tongue in his mouth, earning a needy moan from the green eyed boy. He threaded his fingers through Dean's hair, rocking his hips forward, feeling Dean's grip tighten on his ass.

"I could get used to waking up like this every morning," Dean panted, smiling up at Castiel.

"That does sound quite appealing," Castiel replied, peppering kisses down Dean's jaw before moving to his neck, sucking at the sensitive skin.

He was just about to nip at the mark with his teeth when the sudden sound of someone clearing her throat made both boys jump, Castiel nearly falling of the couch in surprise.

"Mom," Castiel stuttered, noticing that Mrs. Novak had just exited the kitchen and was now standing to the right of the couch, her arms holding across her chest, "I didn't know you were awake."

"That's quite obvious, son," Mrs. Novak replied sarcastically, watching Castiel scramble off of Dean.

"Sorry Mrs. N, I'm afraid what you just witnessed was my fault," Dean lied, sitting up to look at the older woman.

"Dean, sweetheart, while I think it is very sweet that you are so willing to protect Castiel, I'm not so happy about the fact that you are equally as willing to lie for him," Mrs. Novak sighed.

"It's my fault, Momma, please don't be mad at Dean," Castiel chimed in, moving to sit next to his boyfriend on the couch.

"I'm not mad at either of you," Mrs. Novak explained. "I know it's hard to believe, but I was a teenager once too. I'm quite aware of the hormones and urges that come along with the territory. I would just rather not walk in on my son and his boyfriend doing inappropriate things in my living room. And I definitely could do without you two lying as well."

"What inappropriate things?" Gabriel asked suddenly, making his way down the stairs and over to the love-seat. "Dude, did seriously let mom catch you and the air-headed jock in a compromising position?"

"Kiss my-," Dean began but swallowed his words when Mrs. Novak raised an eyebrow at him in warning.

"Shut up, Gabriel," Castiel huffed, intertwining his fingers with Dean so that they were holding hands.

"I'm sorry Mrs. Novak, we'll keep ourselves under control from now on. And I'm sorry for lying, I just didn't want Cas to get in trouble," Dean said, Mrs. Novak giving him a warm smile in return.

"Thank you for apologizing, Dean. It's nice to see you sticking up for Castiel. He wasn't over-exaggerating when he said that you have changed," Mrs. Novak told him.

"I'm honestly trying ma'am. Besides, it's the least I can do. Cas is always sticking up for me, even when I don't deserve it," Dean explained, looking over at Castiel affectionately.

Smiling, Castiel was just about to reply when his older brother cut him off.

"Oh God, please stop with the heart eyes and the mushy talk," Gabriel groaned.

"Gabriel Alexander, hush," Mrs. Novak scolded, "I seem to remember a certain young man who was the same way when he got his first girlfriend."

"Ah, but I'm older and wiser now, mother," Gabriel teased as Castiel glared at him.

"Dean, sweetheart, in light of the fact that we are in desperate need of a subject change, how would you and Sam like to go to dinner with us tonight?" Mrs. Novak asked, making all three boys' jaws drop.

"Um," Dean said hesitantly, looking over at Castiel.

"Please babe, it'll be nice," Castiel begged, giving Dean his best "pretty please" look.

"Sure, why not? I'm sure Sam would love to," Dean agreed, conceding without a fight. "Speaking of the munchkin, where is he?" he added, noticing Sam's absence for the first time.

"He's upstairs playing poker with Anna," Gabriel informed him, a sly smile on his face.

"Uh oh, Sam can't play poker for shi- crap. I bet she's schooling him," Dean chuckled.

"Most likely," Castiel interjected, "She's a little hustler."

"Perfect, I can't wait to bust his balls about it," Dean joked.

"So where are y'all going to dinner?" Gabriel asked, turning the subject back to that evenings plans.

"What do you mean 'y'all'? Aren't you going with us?" Mrs. Novak questioned.

"Momma, did you seriously forget again? I've told you about a million times that the guys and I are going out for Randal's birthday tonight," Gabriel explained in exasperation.

Randal, Gabriel's best friend, always made it a point to go out for his birthday, but every year without fail, Mrs. Novak, despite how many times he told her, would forget Gabriel's annual plans.

"Oh that's right! I'm sorry, darling. Where are you going again?" Mrs. Novak asked.

"I'm not sure, actually. It's some bar on Memorial Parkway in Huntsville," Gabriel said nonchalantly.

Letting out a loud laugh in response to hearing the address, Dean slapped a hand over his mouth when he saw Gabriel give him a dirty look.

"Okay, what am I missing?" Mrs. Novak inquired, eyeing her first born suspiciously.

Thankfully for Gabriel, before he had to confess, he was saved by a timer going off in the kitchen.

"You are so not off the hook, mister," Mrs. Novak forewarned him before disappearing into the kitchen to check on whatever she was baking.

"My bad dude," Dean apologized when she was gone, Castiel looking back and forth between the two of them in confusion.

"It's both impressing and disturbing to me that you knew exactly what I was talking about just by hearing the major street," Gabriel stated, a mix of horror and admiration on his face.

"You know which bar he's talking about?" Castiel asked, making Dean belly laugh.

"It's not exactly a bar, Cassie," Gabriel confessed.

"It's totally a bar. A tittie bar, but a bar nonetheless," Dean said, Gabriel throwing one of the decorative pillows that was displayed on the love-seat at him.

"You're going to a strip club?" Castiel whispered, his big brother rolling his eyes in response.

"Get over it, ya prude," Gabriel teased.

"Dude, you said it was your buddy's birthday, right?" Dean interjected, distracting Castiel from his brother's impeding indiscretion.

"Yeah," Gabriel confirmed.

"Well if you buy him a dance, ask for a girl named Tiffany and tell her Dean Winchester sent you. She'll give him one hell of a present," Dean teased, making Castiel's blood boil.

"Why am I not surprised that you are a patron of a dirty backwoods strip club that's located a town over? Daddy Winchester must be proud," Gabriel laughed, Dean flipping him off in return.

"Tiffany, huh?" Castiel huffed, turning to look at Dean.

"Don't be like that, baby," Dean cooed, running his finger through Castiel's hair.

"Any other tidbits, Winchester?" Gabriel asked, ignoring Castiel's fit of jealousy.

"Ha, you didn't hear this from me, but if you go upstairs you'll get more than a lap dance," Dean explained, Castiel yanking his hand out of his boyfriend's grasp in anger.

"No shit?" Gabriel inquired, "Sounds like you know the ends and outs of this place, dude. Hell, we should go there together sometime, you know? In a friendly attempt to get along for Cassie's sake," he added, trying to push his little brother's buttons.

"Hell yeah, man. I actually used to work there as a bouncer so I could probably get us in for free," Dean agreed jokingly, grunting when Castiel punched him in the stomach.

"Dean Winchester if you step foot inside that place I'll cut off your dick and feed it to you," Castiel threatened, Gabriel's laughter reaching his ears as he stared holes in his boyfriend.

Chuckling, Dean leaned forward, bringing his lips to Castiel's right ear so that his words stayed between the two of them.

"Or, you can come with me…And when you're nice and riled up from watching some half naked chick grind on me, you could drag me to the bathroom to have mind blowing angry sex," Dean suggested, making Castiel's breath hitch in his throat.

"Dude, gross! I don't even want to know what you just said to make my little brother turn that shade of red," Gabriel whined as Mrs. Novak re-entered the living room.

Swallowing hard, Castiel fought to contain the swirling storm of mixed emotions he felt inside him as he and Dean stared at each other hungrily.

"Oh my God, Dean. Quit having eye sex with Castiel in front of his family," Castiel heard Sam say, making him finally tear his eyes away from Dean to see Anna and Sam coming down the stairs.

"Shut up, brat," Dean retorted lamely, looking over at his brother. "Oh, hey, Mrs. Novak invited us to dinner tonight, you interested?" he added, in a desperate attempt to ease some of the tension in the room.

"Absolutely!" Sam agreed, rushing over to hug Castiel's mom, "Thank you, Mrs. Novak."

"Of course, Sam," Mrs. Novak replied, hugging him back. "Now, who's ready for some breakfast?"

A chorus of confirmations rang out as Mrs. Novak released Sam, motioning for the kids to follow her into the kitchen, leaving Dean and Castiel on the couch.

"Well that wasn't awkward or anything. Note to self, dirty talk is far less hot when your little brother and your boyfriend's family can see the result of it," Dean huffed when everyone was out of earshot.

"You're infuriating, Dean Winchester. You know that, right?" Castiel asked, ignoring Dean's comment.

Grabbing Dean by the chin so that they were eye to eye he looked at him pointedly, expecting an answer. Under normal circumstances Castiel would have been mortified by everyone seeing Dean and him acting so inappropriate but his boyfriend's words had him so angry and at the same time so turned on that he couldn't even bother to care.

"Why's that Cas? Because I know you well enough to know that you'd love for me to fuck you in a public place where everyone could hear us and know that I'm yours?" Dean questioned, reaching over to palm at Castiel's growing erection.

"Fuck," Castiel breath out, bucking his hips. "You know what? Yes…I'm not even ashamed to admit it. If I saw some bitch with her hands on you, I'd make sure that she knew real quick who you belonged to," he added, biting Dean's bottom lip.

"Mmm, damn it baby," Dean moaned, continuing to rub Casitel's dick through his pajama pants, "Why'd you have to go all sexy jealous boyfriend right now? There is no way we could sneak off without anyone noticing."

"It's not my fault you brought up your little whore Tiffany," Castiel said maliciously, grabbing onto the tops of Dean's shoulders, feeling a warm sensation pooling in the pit of his stomach.

"She never made me cum like you do, baby, you always know how to make me feel so fucking good," Dean whispered, crashing his lips against Castiel's to stifle the sound of a moan that slipped out of his mouth.

"Dean," Castiel groaned hoarsely, his whole body going ridged as he felt an orgasm wash over him.

"That was so hot it should have been illegal," Dean said, his voice low and gravely as Castiel pressed their foreheads together, trying to steady his breathing.

"Hey, will you two love birds stop messing around and come eat?" Gabriel asked suddenly, making both Dean and Castiel jump.

"Yeah, yeah…but there in a sec," Dean stuttered, grabbing the pillow Gabriel had thrown at him earlier and quickly putting it in his lap.

"I literally can't even," Gabriel whined. "And now I'm scared for fucking life," he added, throwing up his hands in defeat as he went back to the kitchen.

"So much for keeping ourselves under control…," Castiel huffed, his body still tingling with pleasure.

"Dude, seriously though," Dean agreed, trying to adjust himself to conceal his boner, "I blame it all on you."

"Excuse me?" Castiel asked incredulously.

"Legitimately Castiel, the effect you have on me is ridiculous. I physically ache when I can't touch you and I've never wanted to be around someone more in my entire life. I'm in love with everything about you and it's like I can't get enough," Dean admitted, stroking Castiel's left cheek with his thumb.

"Dean," Castiel said, blush spreading across his cheeks.

"It's the truth, baby. And I'm so done holding back. I want you and I'm going to make sure you realize just how much. Even if that includes getting you off in your living room, knowing that someone could walk in at any moment," Dean told him, giving him a suggestive wink.

"Regardless of the fact that your last sentence was reckless and filthy, you have no idea how amazing it is to hear you say that," Castiel confessed.

From the beginning of their relationship, he had been terrified that Dean wasn't nearly as invested in them as he was but with knowing that Dean had told his dad about them, despite the consequences, and his statement of devotion, Castiel was floating on air.

"Ugh…I guess we better get to the kitchen," Dean sighed, changing the subject abruptly.

Castiel could only figure that it was undoubtedly because he was embarrassed. Even though Dean was getting better at expressing his emotions, it was clear he still needed some practice.

"This should be fun…You have to sit through breakfast with a boner and I have to sit through breakfast with cum soaked boxers. Fucking awesome," Castiel complained, getting up as Dean followed suit.

"Watching you get off was so fucking worth though," Dean teased, smiling at him slyly.

"What are you doing to me, Dean Winchester?" Castiel asked, shaking his head.

"Anything you want me to," Dean retorted seductively.

"Hey," Castiel said, grabbing Dean by the hips so that they were facing each other, "I love you, you drive me crazy, but I love you."

"I drive you a good kind of crazy, right?" Dean asked jokingly, cupping both of Castiel's cheeks in his hands.

"Yeah, definitely," Castiel replied, smirking at him. "And going back to the whole wanting people to know you're mine thing? I'd give anything for everyone to know you belong to me…but most of the time jealously has nothing to do with it," he added, Dean biting his lip nervously in response.

"I know Cas…I'm just…I'm still scared," Dean admitted.

"I know babe, and I'm not trying to rush you…It is a huge deal that you told your dad about us and I shouldn't be asking for more right now but…," Castiel said, his voice trailing off.

He hated that he was standing there in front of Dean telling him he wanted more, especially when he had sworn that he didn't care that they had to keep their relationship a secret. But just like Dean was tired of holding back his feelings for Castiel, Castiel so was tired of sneaking around. It wasn't right that they had to hide the fact that they were in love and Castiel was ready to make a stand, even if that meant confessing to Dean that he wasn't content.

"I get it baby," Dean cooed, kissing him gently, "And I promise you, one day I'll be the guy you can hold hands with and who will take you out to movies. You've waited long enough and I'm going to give you what you deserve…I just need a little more time…"

"Thank you, Dean," Castiel told him, throwing his arms around the other boy's neck.

"I love you, Castiel," Dean replied, hugging him tightly.


	27. It's Us Against the World

_Author's note: Hey, this chapter actually has a plot that is relevant to the story! Lol Yay! Hope y'all enjoy! Thanks for reading and commenting! :D_

Rumors of Dean going out to dinner with Castiel and his family spread like wildfire throughout the town not twenty minutes after the meal had taken place. However, much to Castiel's amazement, that didn't stop Dean from hanging out with him every day after school for the next two weeks, even though his presence at the Novak house was met with much resistance. Unsurprisingly, Mr. Novak was avidly against the idea at first, especially with Castiel being grounded. Nevertheless, after a lot of begging and a little help from Mrs. Novak, Castiel's father was finally convinced to let Dean come over with the promise that Castiel and he would focus on homework.

More importantly, Castiel could tell that Mr. Novak was starting to warm up to Dean, even if he would never admit it. This was due mostly to the fact that Dean had started outwardly showing Castiel affection and even a blind person could see that he was head over heels for the blue eyed boy. Additionally, Castiel knew that Mr. Novak also felt sympathy toward Dean because, against his better judgment, Castiel had let it slip to his parents that Dean's home environment was not exactly stable.

And as a result of Mr. Novak's newfound toleration, Castiel and Dean were able to develop an after school routine. Every day during the week, Dean would drive Castiel home from school where they did their assignments as instructed, the night always ending with Dean staying for dinner before heading home around eight.

What Mr. Novak didn't know, however, was that once he and the rest of Castiel's family were asleep, Castiel would meet Dean on the porch and sneak him up to his room so that they could fall asleep together. It was risky, but they had never run into a problem. That was until one night when Castiel went to the porch at nine thirty, like he had been doing for the previous two weeks, to let Dean in and found that he was nowhere to been seen. Looking around for any sign of his boyfriend, Castiel waited a couple minutes before going back inside to text him.

**To: D**  
><strong>From: Cas<strong>  
>Are you coming over tonight, babe?<p>

Castiel hit send and sat on the couch while the minutes dragged by. Dean eventually texted him back an hour and a half later.

**To: Cas**  
><strong>From: D<strong>  
>I'm here<p>

By that time Castiel was beyond worried, mainly because it was very unlike Dean not to let him know that he would be late. Heading back outside, he immediately caught sight of his boyfriend sitting on the top step of his porch, smoke billowing up from the half smoked cigarette in his left hand.

"Is everything okay, babe?" Castiel asked, walking over to sit next to Dean.

Finally getting a good look at his boyfriend's face, Castiel couldn't hold back a gasp of horror when he realized that Dean's lip was busted open and both of his eyes were blacked.

"Don't freak out, baby. Trust me, I've had worse," Dean teased as Castiel, who was visibly distraught, examined him frantically.

"What happened?" Castiel asked, wrapping his left arm around Dean to pull him close.

"My dad caught me sneaking out," Dean explained, leaning his head against Castiel's shoulder.

"Jesus Christ, I'm going to skin him alive," Castiel threatened, squeezing his boyfriend tightly.

"I can't fucking take this anymore, Cas…," Dean said, trying to keep his voice level.

"What are you going to do, babe? I'll gladly help you in any way I can," Castiel told him earnestly.

"I've been looking at this little one bedroom house over by the old mill…It's a piece of shit but with the money I've got saved up from working for Bobby and all the other odd jobs I've been doing I can afford it," Dean explained, looking up to meet Castiel's eyes.

"You've been looking at houses? Why didn't you tell me you've been thinking about moving out?" Castiel asked, trying not to sound as upset as he felt.

Dean and he had been inseparable for the last month and he couldn't understand why his boyfriend would keep something so important a secret from him.

"Everything has been going so great between us, Cas…I just didn't want to burden you with my bullshit problems," Dean explained, his green eyes silently begging Castiel for forgiveness.

"Your problems aren't bullshit. Damn it babe, we've been over this. I want you to tell me when something is upsetting you, no matter how stupid you think it might seem. I want to help you," Castiel said, reaching up with his right hand to wipe away the blood that was trickling down Dean's chin from his cut.

"I'm sorry, Cas. I'm just not used to having someone I can confide in…I mean Sammy listens to me bitch but I can't tell him the heavy shit…I can't put that on a kid…And I don't want to put it on you either," Dean choked out, and despite his best effort to hold himself together, he began to cry.

"Dean," Castiel cooed, cuddling as close to his boyfriend as he could, "You can tell me anything. I don't care if it's the darkest, heaviest thing you've ever said in your entire life. You can tell me and I'll help you in any way I can."

"I know, baby…I just…I'm still adjusting to this whole talking it out thing," Dean teased, salty tears rolling down his cheeks as he tried to mask his pain.

"It's really bad, isn't it? Has he been physical with you a lot?" Castiel asked, changing the subject back to the issue at hand.

"At first he just ignored me…But for the last week he's been picking fights, telling me how much of a disgrace I am and how he can't believe his oldest son is, and I'm quoting him verbatim, a cock sucking faggot," Dean said, Castiel feeling his blood pressure rise upon hearing such a disgusting comment.

"He's a fucking idiot, Dean. If he can't see what an amazing person you are just because he disagrees with your sexual preference than that's his loss," Castiel stated, his tone angry and defiant.

It was at that exact moment that Castiel regretted ever thinking in the past that his father was a terrible parent. Sure Mr. Novak was homophobic, but not once had he let his views stop him from treating Castiel with affection. Of course they fought about Castiel's sexuality and Mr. Novak had said some pretty rude things to him, but Castiel had never once felt like his father wanted to or would ever disown him because of it.

"Thanks, Cas," Dean replied after what seemed like an eternity. "You know, before we started dating, I mean before you and I really opened up to one another, I would have put up with my dad's bullshit. Hell, I probably would've thought I deserved it. But it's because of you that I know I don't deserve to be treated like shit by that drunk bastard," he added, making Castiel's heart flutter with happiness.

"And that's why you've been looking for a different place to live?" Castiel asked, an overwhelming sense of pride washing over him from the knowledge that Dean no longer believed that he should have to endure John's violent behavior.

"Exactly, Cas. I know I've already told you this but you are seriously the only person apart from Sammy that makes me feel like I'm worth a damn and your constant encouragement and support made me want to get away from all the anger and the hate that consumes me every time I step inside my house," Dean confessed.

Instead of replying verbally, Castiel leaned forward, pressing his lips gently against Dean's. He couldn't even begin to articulate how he was feeling so he wanted to show his boyfriend just how happy he truly was that he was finally standing up for himself.

"Whoa there," Dean chuckled, breaking the kiss after a while when the cut on his lip began to throb.

"Sorry babe," Castiel apologized, biting his bottom lip shyly.

He could taste Dean's blood, metallic and salty on his tongue but it was completely worth it to feel Dean's lips against his.

"No apology necessary," Dean said, leaning forward to give Castiel an Eskimo kiss.

"So this house, you'd be renting it, right?" Castiel asked, running his fingers through the other boy's hair.

"Yeah, that's all I can afford," Dean confirmed.

"What about Sam?" Castiel questioned, knowing that Dean would never leave his little brother alone with John.

"I'm going to take that son of a bitch to court…See about becoming Sammy's legal guardian," Dean told him.

"Wow, you've really thought about this…," Castiel said, and even though he managed to keep his tone neutral, Dean still shot him a kicked puppy dog look.

It wasn't that Castiel didn't understand why Dean had kept him in the dark, he did. It just upset him to his core that his boyfriend had been struggling with such huge, scary decisions right in front of his face and he hadn't even known.

"It's what's best for Sammy…," Dean mumbled, looking down in an attempt to hide the fact that he was crying again.

"I agree, Dean. I'm so proud of you," Castiel praised, turning Dean's head so that they were face to face once more. "And from this point forward I'm going to be right by your side, helping you with anything you need," he added, brushing away the tears on Dean's cheeks.

"Will you help me find a lawyer? And go with me when I set up an appointment to look at the house?" Dean asked.

"Of course I will," Castiel confirmed, giving him a gentle kiss.

"Thank you. You're amazing baby," Dean said, flashing Castiel one of his infamous toothy smiles. "Oh...And will you do me one more favor? Even though it seems kind of trivial in comparison…," he inquired, looking at his boyfriend sheepishly.

"What's that?" Castiel asked, raising an eyebrow in suspicion.

"Will you come to my football game tomorrow? I'd feel a lot better knowing you were in the stands cheering me on," Dean said, making Casitel smile from ear to ear.

"How could I pass up an opportunity to watch you run around in tight pants?" Castiel teased, standing up to hold out his hand for Dean.

Flicking away his cigarette bud, Dean accepted the gesture, entwining their fingers as he let his boyfriend lead him inside.

"What would I do without you, Cas?" Dean whispered, pressing a kiss to his check.

"I don't know, Winchester, I guess that's why it's a good thing you'll never have to find out," Castiel teased, winking at him as they climbed the stairs.

**XXXX**

"Is that your man?" Pamela asked as she turned into the school parking lot.

Castiel had just received a text message and was smiling like an idiot, and Pamela knew that Dean was most likely responsible for her best friend's glee.

"It is indeed," Castiel replied sheepishly, opening the text.

**To: Cas**  
><strong>From: D<strong>  
>I'm driving you home after the game. Want to celebrate the win by fucking you until you can't see straight.<p>

Letting out a sharp gasp, Castiel was vaguely aware that Pamela was saying something to him, his brain too hazy for him to comprehend her words.

"Earth to Castiel? Dear God, are you two sexting?!" Pamela asked, punching him in the arm.

"What? No!" Castiel stuttered, finally snapping out of his daze.

It was only then that he noticed that Pamela had parked the car.

"You were such a cute, innocent little kid before Dean Winchester got his perverted hands on you," Pamela sighed.

"Shut up, I'm still cute," Castiel retorted, making his best friend laugh.

"But not so innocent," She taunted, getting out of the car to grab her purse from the back seat.

Deciding not to reply, Castiel took the opportunity to text Dean back quickly before they made their way to the football field.

**To: D**  
><strong>From: Cas<strong>  
>Already planning a celebration, huh? Who says you're going to win? Cocky bastard.<p>

Hitting send, Castiel unbuckled his seat belt and got out of the car, eagerly awaiting Dean's reply.

"Come on lover boy," Pamela teased, grabbing Castiel by the hand, his phone vibrating just as they began to walk.

Hastily opening the message, Castiel put his full trust in Pamela not to run him into a wall as he looked down to read the text.

**To: Cas**  
><strong>From: D<strong>  
>Oh I'm going to win, baby. You can count on that. And you can also count on me running my hands all over your body, feeling every inch of that perfect skin of yours. I'm going to kiss those gorgeous lips until you're panting and begging for more. I'm going to take my time until you're a writhing hot mess beneath me and just when you think you can't hold back any longer, I'm going to fuck you, long and hard. I'm going to make you cum over and over again while you scream my name so loud that it makes you hoarse.<p>

"Jesus Christ, Castiel, did you seriously just pop a boner?" Pamela scolded in a hushed tone.

Much to Castiel's surprise, he looked up to realize that somehow his best friend had maneuvered him through the parking lot and they were now sitting at the bottom of the bleachers which overlooked the football field.

"Fuck," Castiel whispered, trying to adjust himself.

Looking around, he saw that the stands were packed with people who were talking amongst themselves waiting for kick off.

"I have to say, dude might be a jackass but he must have some mad skills if he's got you this riled up after a couple texts," Pamela giggled, Castiel feeling his cheeks heat up with blush.

"Trust me, you have no idea just how skilled he is," Castiel replied huskily.

"Excuse me while I go wash my ears out with bleach," Pamela groaned.

Chuckling, Castiel tried to gather his wits, his hands shaking as he replied to Dean.

**To: D**  
><strong>From: Cas<strong>  
>If your intention was to get me so painfully hard that it would make me seriously think about going to the bathroom to jack off while imagining everything you just said, it worked.<p>

"You nasty slut," Pamela laughed, reading Castiel's message over his shoulder.

"If you had a boyfriend with a big dick and enough sex appeal to float a battleship, you'd be a nasty slut too," Castiel teased, his words making Pamela, who never blushed, turn crimson.

"Ugh, please, just stop," she begged, "I could seriously handle you talking about anybody's dick but his."

"I'll be right back," Castiel stated, Pamela giving him a look that was a mixture of sympathy and amusement before he made his way to the closest bathroom.

Castiel was quite aware that there was no way he was going to be able to sit through an entire football game, watching Dean saunter around the field, with a boner the size of Texas. And that was why he was about to masturbate in a public restroom. It was all because of Dean fucking Winchester and his stupidly attractive face and his sinful fucking way with words. Continuing to curse his boyfriend mentally, he hurriedly made his way into the nearest stall. Once inside, Castiel quickly unbuttoned his jeans, pulling them and his boxers down so that he could wrap his hand around his erection. Trying to stay as quiet as possible, he began to stroke himself, leaning against the wall for support. He closed his eyes as he felt a familiar sensation of warmth pooling in the pit of his stomach as he continued to flick his wrist, pretending it was Dean's hand working him toward his release. Letting out a low moan, Castiel brought his left hand up to his mouth, biting his knuckles to silence himself.

_I'm going to make you cum over and over again while you scream my name so loud that it makes you hoarse._

Dean's words were on a loop in Castiel's mind, the thought of screaming his boyfriend's name sending him over the edge as his whole body tensed, a life changing orgasm washing over him.

"Fuck Winchester," Castiel breathed out, all of his nerve endings humming with pleasure.

After taking a few minutes to collect himself, Castiel then pulled up his pants, using toilet paper to clean up before leaving the stall to wash his hands. Examining his appearance in the mirror, he made sure he looked presentable before heading back to his seat where he found that both teams had taken the field in his absence.

"You look like you just had the best orgasm of your life," Pamela said bluntly when he sat down next her.

"What can I say? My man has that effect on me. And I'd just like to point out that true friendship is when you can tell your best friend that he looks like he had an awesome time jacking off and it doesn't make things weird," Castiel laughed as Pamela scooted closer to him, linking their elbows so she could lean against his shoulder.

"What are best friends for?" she teased, giving him a kiss on the cheek.

"I've missed you," Castiel replied, shooting her a small smile.

In the last couple of weeks, mostly because he was grounded and a little bit because he was spending a lot of his time with Dean, Castiel and Pamela hadn't talked much and Castiel hated that he hadn't made a better effort to stay in touch.

"I've missed you too, bestie. Hey, one week until your punishment is over, right? We should celebrate with a sleep over," Pamela suggested.

"Absolutely," Castiel agreed as the crowd began to react to something that was happening on the field.

Trying to figure out what had caused everyone to break out in an angry jeer, Castiel noticed that one of the players from the other team, Ryan Williams, was mouthing at none other than Dean Winchester, their teammates rushing over to separate them.

Ryan, who was the quarterback for the Huntsville Jaguars, Anderson's rival team, also happened to be one of the four boys that had jumped Dean for talking shit during a game they had played against one another. The Jaguars were 0-3 against the Anderson Tigers which was why Dean's mouth had gotten him into even more trouble than usual. And what made Ryan's hatred for Dean even more prominent was that somehow, Dean had not only won the fight but ended breaking Ryan's arm, taking him out for an entire season. Needless to say, tension always ran high when the two teams faced off and it looked like tonight wouldn't be any different.

"Ten bucks says Ryan takes the first swing," Pamela said suddenly as Dean and Ryan finally walked away from each other.

Making his way toward the bench, Dean, who was decked out in a blue jersey that had the number one on it, accompanied with tight white football pants, took off his helmet, revealing an angry scowl on his face. However, despite that fact that he was wearing a frown, which didn't do anything for his two healing black eyes, Dean looked absolutely stunning to Castiel and he soon found himself staring at his boyfriend longingly. Studying Dean, Castiel saw that he had begun to scan the crowd, a devilish smile appearing on his face when he finally spotted his blue eyed lover.

"You know, if Dean is still adamant about keeping your guys' relationship a secret, you two should probably stop publicly eye fucking," Pamela stated, making Castiel quickly look down at his lap.

"Ten bucks says it's Dean," Castiel muttered, taking his best friend up on her bet.

"Deal," Pamela agreed, Castiel daring to look at the field once more.

"Looks like the time for seductive eye contact is over, the game is about to start," Pamela teased when Castiel saw that Dean had put on his helmet once again and was now delivering a motivational speech as his teammates huddled around him.

"Okay best friend, teach me the ways of football," Castiel said, hearing the referee blow the whistle to signify the start of the game.

"Well right now the captains from both teams are going to go onto the field for a coin toss. Winner gets to choose whether they want to kick or receive," Pamela explained.

"Which one is better?" Castiel asked.

"In my opinion, receiving is better because it give your team the first opportunity to score but it really depends on the coach. See? Huntsville won and they want the ball first," Pamela said, pointing to the field as the Jaguars offense got set.

When the ball was snapped, Ryan barely escaped a tackle but ended up throwing the football halfway down the field, earning a chorus of boos from the Tiger fans.

"Shit, Ryan's really good," Castiel muttered two plays later when Ryan slipped past three defensive linemen to score a touchdown.

"Don't worry Castiel, I'd deny it passionately if he ever found out I said this, but Dean is better," Pamela confessed as Ryan swaggered over to the sideline where Dean was standing and spiked the football in front of him.

As Castiel soon found out, the gesture was apparently extremely offensive because it made Dean snap, the crowd going nut when he punched Ryan in the throat.

"Holy fuck," Pamela hissed as everyone except for Castiel and her got to their feet to watch as the referees and coaches worked to stop the brawl that had broken out between the two teams when Dean hit Ryan.

Completely stunned, Castiel held his breath as he saw Dean being pushed back to the bench, his coach yelling at him to calm down. It took a good ten minutes to get everyone to settle down and when all the players were finally separated the referee announced that both Dean and Ryan had been flagged for unsportsmanlike conduct.

"The two penalties offset," Pamela explained, rubbing circles between Castiel's shoulder blades in an attempt to calm him down. "And it looks like I own you ten bucks," she added, making him let out a shaky laugh.

"So the Tigers get the ball now, right?" Castiel asked, watching as Dean took the field with his teammates.

"Exactly," Pamela confirmed.

When the whistle blew, the center snapped the ball, and Dean took a few steps back, searching the field for an open receiver. However, before he could throw the football, a giant outside linebacker, who Castiel firmly believed was on steroids, rushed forward and tackled him to the ground hard.

"Oh my God, oh my God," Castiel gasped, on the verge of hyperventilating as Dean lay on the ground, the wind clearly knocked out of him.

"It's okay Cassie, see look, he's getting up," Pamela said, trying to comfort her best friend.

"This was a terrible idea," Castiel huffed, sweat dripping down his neck.

"I actually have to agree with you on that one…It can't be easy to watch someone you love get flatted into the turf by a huge dude with 'roid rage," Pamela stated.

"It's definitely proving difficult to witness," Castiel teased, trying to lighten the mood as Dean took another snap, this time completing a pass for twenty yards. "Hey, wait a minute. Did you just acknowledge the fact that I love you-know-who?" he added a few seconds later, smirking at his best friend.

"Sadly, yes," Pamela confirmed, rolling her eyes.

"I'm pretty sure Satan's balls must have icicles on them because I know Hell had to have frozen over for you to just say that," Castiel taunted.

"Oh believe me, Cassie, there is a fucking blizzard going on down there right now," Pamela retorted, cheering when Dean broke a tackle to run for a couple yards.

After the sack, as Pamela explained it was called, Dean went on to execute three more plays brilliantly which eventually resulted in a touchdown. The game continued to go back and forth until there were two minutes left in the fourth quarter. Ryan threw an interception, which the Tigers scored on, making it 21 to 28, Tigers leading. After that, it was just a matter of letting the clock run out before the Tigers won, making their record against the Jaguars 4-0.

"I'll be damned, they won," Castiel laughed as Pamela and he stood up to cheer.

"Oh no…," Pamela interjected suddenly, the happy atmosphere of the crowd stifled when Ryan walked over to where Dean was celebrating and got in his face.

In the blink of an eye, both boys were swinging at each other wildly, their teammates trying to separate them yet again.

"If that motherfucker hits my Dean one more time," Castiel seethed, watching as the tussle was finally broken up, allowing Dean and his teammates to head back to the locker room to celebrate.

"Calm down, Casanova, Dean is more than capable of defending himself," Pamela teased, pulling Castiel back down onto the bleachers, opting to wait for the crowd to clear out before attempting to make their way to parking lot.

"I know…But that doesn't stop the ridiculous need I have to try to defend him anyway," Castiel confessed, Pamela offering him a small smile when he felt his phone vibrate in his pocket.

Fishing out the device, Castiel saw that he had a text message from Dean, allowing Pamela to lean over his shoulder as he read it.

**To: Cas**  
><strong>From: Dean<strong>  
>Meet me in the parking lot in twenty minutes.<p>

"I gather that I'm not taking you home," Pamela laughed, Castiel biting his bottom lip coyly.

"No ma'am," he said, sending Dean back a text saying he'd be there.

"Man, I wish I was getting laid tonight," Pamela huffed and Castiel couldn't help but laugh.

"Sorry girly," Castiel teased, not sounding the least bit sorry.

"Why is it that I've been looking for a boy from months and haven't had any luck but here you are just minding your own business and they are attracted to you like magnets?" Pamela asked suddenly, making Castiel raise an eyebrow at her in confusion.

"What are you talking about?" he asked, following Pamela's line of sight to see a cute blonde haired boy staring at him from across the field.

"He's been checking you out for the better part of five minutes," Pamela explained as tons of people filed passed them.

Giving the boy a polite smile, Castiel turned to his best friend, hoping that he won't approach them.

"If Dean were on the field right now and saw that guy, he'd rip his lungs out with his bare hands," Castiel said.

"Good to know you're dating a caveman," Pamela sighed before changing the subject abruptly to talk about the details of their upcoming sleepover.

**XXXX**

It was thirty minutes later when Castiel and Pamela entered the nearly empty parking lot. Thankfully, despite the fact that he had lost track of time, Castiel didn't see Dean anywhere in sight and he could only assume that he had been delayed in the locker room.

"Do you want me to wait with you until the Cro-Magnon man shows up?" Pamela asked when they got to her car.

"Nah, I'll be fine. He should be here any minute," Castiel said, pulling her into a hug.

"Have fun getting that firm little ass of yours plowed by Mr. Testosterone," She teased, ruffling his hair when they released each other.

"Good night Pamela Rose," Castiel huffed, refusing to let her comment get a rise out of him. "I love you."

"I love you too," Pamela said, flashing her best friend a toothy smile before getting in her car.

When she had pulled out of the parking space, Castiel waved goodbye, watching as she drove off. It was then that he started looking around for the Impala, not having to put much effort into it considering it was one of only four cars left in the lot. Walking over to his boyfriend's beloved car, Castiel stood near the passenger's side door with his hands in his pocket as he waited for Dean. Shifting from one foot to the other, he was contemplating texting Dean when he heard footsteps coming toward him.

"Hey there," he heard someone say suddenly, causing him to jump.

Castiel turned his head and saw the blonde boy who had been staring at him earlier walking up to him.

TO BE CONTINUED…


	28. We'll Be Okay, Believe Me

_Author's note: This chapter has so much porn...Lol I'd apologize...but I'm not sorry. ;P Enjoy!_

Completely taken off guard, Castiel eyed the boy walking over to him suspiciously, not sure what to make of the whole situation.

"Hi," Castiel decided to reply after a short deliberation, watching as the boy stopped just in front of him.

"I just want to start out by saying, this isn't as stalker-ish as it looks. My car just happens to be right there," the boy explained, pointing to a red 2006 Mustang that was parked one row over.

"I feel like that's a classic line from the stalker handbook," Castiel teased, trying to ease some of the awkward tension between them.

"Ugh, you're right, huh? Okay, how about this? My name's Adam Milligan and I promise, although you are insanely attractive, I'm not stalking you," Adam said, holding out his hand for Castiel to shake.

"And I'm just supposed to take the word of a complete stranger? Do I really look that naïve?" Castiel asked jokingly, taking Adam's hand.

"Honestly? You look downright adorable," Adam chuckled before they released each other.

"I'm Castiel," Castiel informed him, blushing at the compliment.

"Castiel? That's an unique name," Adam flirted, taking a step forward.

Instinctively, Castiel shied away, feeling his back hit the side of the Impala.

"Yeah, my parents are pretty religious so my brother and I ended up being named after angels," Castiel explained.

"Well what do you know? Looks like we were both named after dudes from the Bible," Adam told him. "And if it's any consolation, I think Castiel is a nice name," he added, flashing Castiel a smile so bright it could have been featured in a Crest commercial.

"Thank you," Castiel replied looking down nervously, annoyed at himself for acting so shy.

"This yours?" Adam asked suddenly, referring to the Impala.

"No, it's my boy-" Castiel said, stopping mid-sentence when he realized what he was about to say. "….friend's car," he mumbled, correcting himself.

"Please tell me that the word 'boy' didn't precede the word friend in your statement just now," Adam begged, looking disappointed.

Even though Adam was clearly not from Anderson and probably didn't even know who Dean was, Castiel was still hesitant to talk about their relationship. Studying Adam, who didn't look like he was going to leave him alone any time soon without a neon sign that said he was taken, Castiel decided to go for it in the end.

"I'm sorry but it did. The Impala belongs to my boyfriend," Castiel confessed.

"Damn. There goes my dream of being the charming stranger to come along and sweep you off your feet," Adam teased, letting out a small sigh.

"Well you are quite charming, but someone has already swept me off my feet," Castiel joked back, happy that Adam was a good enough guy to handle being rejected with such grace.

"Yeah, that doesn't surprise me. I should have known someone as handsome as you would be taken," Adam said, offering him a weak smile.

"I appreciate your kind words nevertheless," Castiel replied, feeling bad for having to let Adam down.

"Of course…well, take care Castiel," Adam told him, patting Castiel on the shoulder.

Castiel was just about to respond when he saw the boy in front of him being pushed backward forcefully by his red-faced, visibly livid boyfriend. Too stunned to move, he could only stare at the scene in front of him as Dean grabbed Adam by the collar of his shirt so that they were face to face.

Dean was no longer decked out in his football gear, and now wearing a black wife-beater, covered by his infamous leather jacket, his white pants from earlier replaced with tight fitting jeans. Mentally cursing himself, Castiel knew he would probably feel ashamed later for acknowledging how fucking amazing his boyfriend looked at that moment, despite the fact that he was fighting mad, but as of right then he couldn't help himself.

"If you ever put your hands on him again you'll be picking your teeth up off the ground," Dean growled at Adam, whose eyes were wide with shock.

"Dean," Sam warned, Castiel realizing that the younger boy was standing beside him.

"Don't babe, he didn't mean any harm," Castiel chimed in, finally finding his voice as he rushed forward to wrap his arms around his boyfriend, holding him back.

"Jesus, dude. I'm sorry," Adam told Dean, backing away.

"You better be, you son of a bitch. Now get the fuck out of my sight," Dean demanded.

Not needing to be told twice, Adam turned tail and ran without another word.

"Dean," Castiel sighed as Dean twisted violently out of his embrace.

"What the hell, dude?" Sam chastised.

"Dean," Castiel repeated, attempting to explain the scenario that his boyfriend had just stumbled upon but was cut off by Dean holding up his hand dismissively.

"Just get in the car, Castiel. I don't want to hear it," Dean spat, walking around to the driver's side of the Impala.

In response, Castiel was just about to tell him he was being ridiculous when Dean quickly threw the gym bag that had been around his shoulder in the backseat before getting behind the wheel, slamming the door shut in agitation.

"I have literally seen girls that were "dating" my brother flirt with other guys in front of him like it was no big deal and he never once acted like this…," Sam stated, walking passed Castiel. "You've sure got some hold on him, dude," he added before getting in the backseat.

Castiel sighed loudly and rolled his eyes as he opened the passenger's side door to join the brothers in the car. Needless to say, the drive home was extremely uncomfortable and when Dean finally pulled up in front of his house, Castiel thought seriously about making a break for it.

"Go inside Sam. Castiel and I need to talk," Dean said, keeping the engine running.

"…Okay….," Sam replied, looking from his older brother to Castiel who was fidgeting nervously in his seat. "Dean, don't be a dick, alright?" he added, earning a dirty look from Dean over his shoulder.

"Get out of my car, bitch," Dean barked.

"Kiss my ass, jerk!" Sam retorted, reaching over to pat Castiel on the shoulder before exiting the vehicle.

Once Sam was safely inside the house, Dean put the Impala in drive once more, not bothering to elaborate on where he was going.

"Are we actually going to talk or are you just going to drive around in a fit of rage for the rest of the night?" Castiel dared to ask about twenty minutes later when Dean turned down a dark alleyway behind an abandoned old factor.

The area had a bad reputation for being a spot where punk kids would go to hang out, mostly to vandalize the broken down structure, and it really didn't surprise Castiel that Dean, the town's resident bad boy in addition to being their star quarterback, had ended up taking them there. The only problem Castiel had with the situation was Dean's decision to be a brat.

Still refusing to speak, Dean rolled to a stop a few seconds later, angrily throwing the Impala in park.

"You're acting like a child," Castiel told him heatedly as Dean turned off the engine before leaning over to grab his cigarettes out of the glove box.

Narrowing his eyes, Castiel let out a frustrated huff when Dean got out of the car, continuing to ignore him. Initially, he had contemplated staying put and giving his boyfriend some space, but the more he thought about Dean's outrageous behavior, the more pissed off he became.

"What the fuck's your problem?!" Castiel shouted, getting out of the car to walk over to Dean.

Taking a long drag off the cigarette he had just lit, Dean remained silent for a moment, leaning back against the Impala, studying Castiel.

"You mean besides the fact that I just saw my boyfriend making goo-goo eyes at some asshat who was shamelessly flirting with him?" Dean answered after a long pause, exhaling a puff of smoke through his mouth.

"Oh, is that what I was doing?" Castiel seethed, "Because I could have sworn I had just got done telling him I wasn't interested because I already had a boyfriend. And I'm more than positive he was getting ready to leave when you showed up looking for a fight."

"The image of him touching you is literally seared into my brain and I can't shake how mad it made me…I know how fucked up that sounds, Cas…but I just can't help it," Dean confessed suddenly, looking away from Castiel.

"It was a harmless pat on the shoulder, babe," Castiel said, moving to stand in front of Dean.

"And while the rational part of me, however small it is, understands that, all my mind can process is jealous rage," Dean explained, flicking away his half smoked cigarette.

"I'm yours, Dean," Castiel told him, putting his hands on either side of his face so that they were looking each of in the eyes.

He knew in retrospect that he probably shouldn't be adding fuel to the fire, especially knowing all too well about his boyfriend's possessive nature. But at the same time, Castiel couldn't lie, not even to himself, and say that a tiny part of him didn't find Dean's jealousy insanely hot.

"Say it again," Dean demanded, reaching forward to grab Castiel by the hips, pulling him close.

"I'm yours and only yours," Castiel repeated, pressing a chased kiss to Dean's lips, tasting cigarette smoke. "But if you think I need to be reminded of that fact then fuck me. Fuck me hard and raw until there's no doubt of who I belong to," he added, Dean's breath hitching in his throat.

"Are you sure you know what you're asking for, Cas? I'm still seeing red from my fight with Ryan earlier and that motherfucker hitting on you didn't do me any favors…What I'm trying to say is, if I let myself go and do want you're suggesting it will be a lot rougher than usual," Dean warned, his finger nails digging into Castiel's skin.

"I understand, Dean. I want it, I want you to let go…Want you to own me," Castiel purred, biting at Dean's jaw.

In response, Dean grabbed him by the shoulders, turning him around to slam his back against the side of the Impala. Letting out an involuntary moan, Castiel felt a mixture of pleasure and pain spread through his body as Dean leaned forward, pressing their bodies together, his fingers bruising his skin.

"I'm going to fuck you so hard you won't be able to remember your own name," Dean told him, muffling a whimper from Castiel by crashing their lips together.

Returning the kiss, Castiel tangled his fingers in Dean's short brown hair as their tongues fought for dominance inside each other's mouths.

"You have issues, you know that right? You jealous fuck," Castiel asked suddenly, panting as he shoved Dean in the chest to separate himself from the green eye boy.

He wasn't quite sure what had possessed him to say such a thing, all he knew was that he wanted to get under Dean's skin.

"Says the masochistic bastard whose dick is solid as a rock because I'm a jealous fuck. And can I just say, pot and kettle, baby," Dean jeered, closing the small gap between, reaching down with his right hand to palm at Castiel's erection.

"If you're like this because some random guy touched my shoulder, I wonder what you'd be acting like if he touched me somewhere else," Castiel taunted, ignoring his boyfriend's comment as he cupped his hand over Dean's, adding more fiction to the bulge in his pants.

"You shouldn't baby, because if he had touched you where I think you are alluding to, I wouldn't be gearing up to fuck you, I'd be in jail for murder," Dean replied, bringing his left hand up to undo the button on Castiel's jeans.

"You're barbaric," Castiel groaned as Dean maneuvered past the elastic of his boxers, wrapping his fingers around his dick before giving it a slow, methodical tug.

"And you love it when your barbaric, jealous boyfriend takes control and fucks you senseless, don't you?" Dean questioned, Castiel letting out an embarrassing little whine in response. "That's what I thought," he added, removing his hand from Castiel's dick to take a step back.

"Dean," Castiel warned, clawing at his shirt.

"Nu uh baby," Dean said, grabbing him by the wrists tightly, "I want you to listen to me, I'm going to get what we need out of my gym bag and by the time I'm done I expect you to be undressed and waiting for me in the backseat, understand?"

Nodding his head furiously, Castiel saw Dean give him a seductive wink before letting him go to grab his bag from the backseat, leaving the door open.

As Castiel pulled his shirt over his head, he was vaguely aware that Dean had gone to set his gym bag on the trunk to get the condom and lube he had stashed in there before the game. Castiel was sure that fucking him in a jealous rage in some back alley wasn't what his boyfriend had planned for the night but he was grateful nevertheless that Dean had come prepared. Getting in the car, Castiel scooted over to the middle seat before tossing his shirt to the side so he could make quick work of his shoes, jeans, and boxers. Soon his other clothes joined his shirt, leaving him completely naked. Settling back, Castiel had just let out a deep, ragged breath, trying to steady himself, when he heard the door shut. He looked sideways to find Dean eyeing him lustfully.

"Perfect," Dean whispered, seeing his boyfriend's unclothed body bathed in the moon light.

Castiel, glancing over at Dean shyly, noticed he had set the items that he had retrieved from his bag on the rear dash of the Impala, obviously in no hurry to use them.

"Please tell me you're going to put your dick in me sometime soon," Castiel whined, making Dean chuckle.

"When have I ever been one to rush?" Dean asked, shimming out of his jacket before pulling his tank top over his head and then tossing the articles of clothing into the front seat.

Huffing in response, Castiel watched as Dean then went on to remove everything he was wearing from the waist down.

"Can I at least touch you?" Castiel inquired, licking his lips as his eyes greedily soaked up the sight of Dean's now naked body.

"Sorry baby, no dice," Dean replied, reaching back to grab the new bottle of lube he had bought, this one much bigger than the one they had originally used.

"Bastard," Castiel hissed as Dean held out the bottle to him.

"It's been said," Dean laughed, "Now, I want you to lay flat on your back so your legs are open toward me and finger yourself."

"…You want me to what?" Castiel stammered nervously. He could feel blush spreading across his cheeks as he tried to comprehend Dean's command.

"Hey," Dean said, leaning over to kiss Castiel's neck, "You can save the shyness for someone who doesn't know just how much of a filthy little slut you are. Now, do what I told you, baby. Don't make me ask twice," he ordered, his voice gravely and low, turning Castiel's blood molten in his veins.

"Have I ever expressed just how much I hate the fact that you being all demanding and talking dirty turns me on like a fucking light switch?" Castiel asked as he pressed their foreheads together, feeling Dean's tongue run across his bottom lip.

"Liar, you love it. And if you don't quit stalling there will be consequences," Dean told him, sending a shiver up his spine.

Taking a deep breath, Castiel then reached out with a shaky hand to take the lube from Dean. He popped open the cap and slicked up his fingers with the clear substance before setting the bottle back on the rear dash. Closing his eyes, he turned sideways, laying down on the seat with his legs opened to the other boy.

"Like this, Dean?" Castiel asked, feigning innocence to rile up his boyfriend as he slowly slid his right hand down his body before pushing one finger inside himself.

"Fuck," Dean growled, watching as Castiel stretched his tight hole, arching his hips up off the seat when his finger brushed against his prostate.

After a while, Castiel added a second finger, his other hand absentmindedly going to his dick, giving it a quick stroke before Dean batted it away.

"Did I tell you that you could touch yourself?" Dean asked harshly.

"No…," Castiel mumbled.

"You know, this is the second time you've disobeyed me…I didn't punish you the other night but I think it's about time I do," Dean stated, "Sit up."

"Are you kidding me, Dean? That was two fucking weeks ago," Castiel said in exasperation, knowing that Dean was referring to the night he had taken his hand off the wall when his boyfriend had told him not to.

"Sit. Up," Dean repeated, leaning forward to bite down on the inside of Castiel's right thigh.

"Fuck!" Castiel moaned, reluctantly removing his fingers before doing as he was told, his heart pounding in his chest. "Dean, please…," he begged, his dick so hard he thought he might explode.

"Lay on your stomach across my lap," Dean ordered, ignoring Castiel's plea.

Hesitating, Castiel studied him for a moment, seeing something mischievous glimmering in his boyfriend's eyes as he waited for Castiel to comply.

"I was only going to spank you ten times but if you make me bend you over my knee it will be twenty," Dean threatened.

Scrambling forward, Castiel stretched out over Dean's lap so that his ass was exposed to him.

"Motherfucker," Castiel spat when Dean rubbed his left thigh against his erection.

"I want you to count them for me baby," Dean said, causing Castiel's skin to break out with goosebumps as he gently messaged his right ass cheek with his palm. "Ready?" he asked, Castiel managing to grunt his affirmative.

When Dean delivered the first blow, it was more shock than pain that made Castiel cry out.

"O-one," he stammered, his body alive with pleasure.

"That's it Cas," Dean praised, drawing back his hand again to slap the same spot.

"Fuck..two…," Castiel said, grabbing the seat underneath him tight enough to make his knuckles white.

By the time Dean got to eight, Castiel was afraid that he was going to cum, untouched and mewling in his boyfriend's lap.

"Nine…Dean, please…," Castiel gritted out, feeling Dean's dick pressed against his side.

"One more Cas, one more and then I'm going to fuck you," Dean assured him, slapping his ass one last time.

"Ten!" Castiel moaned.

"Good boy," Dean cooed, reaching back to grab the lube.

As Castiel lay in his lap, begging to be fucked, Dean opened the bottle, coating his fingers with the warm gel.

"Dean, please! I'm ready, just fuck me!" Castiel demanded when Dean slipped two fingers into his already slick hole, curling them against his prostate.

"Remember gorgeous, I'm the one that gives the orders around here," Dean teased, circling his fingers around and making Castiel yell obscenities.

"I know babe, and I'll do whatever you say, please," Castiel moaned, pushing himself back against Dean's fingers.

"Fuck, Cas. Lay on your back again," Dean commanded when he was done teasing him, removing his fingers.

Even though it was not by the most graceful of methods, given the small space he had to work with, Castiel complied and eventually got to the position Dean wanted him in.

"Don't put that on," Castiel said suddenly, noticing Dean reaching for the condom.

"You sure?" Dean asked, looking over at his boyfriend.

"Yeah, I want to feel you inside me with nothing in between," Castiel told him.

"Damn baby, I can't wait to fuck that tight little ass of yours," Dean moaned, pouring a generous amount of lube in his hand to slick himself up.

He then moved to hover over him, wrapping Castiel's left leg around his waist.

"C'mon Dean," Castiel whispered, lifting his hands to grip Dean's shoulder blades as he stared up at his boyfriend with pure, unadulterated lust.

Finally complying with Castiel's wishes, Dean slowly pushed inside him, making the both of them shout out in relief.

"Remember, don't hold back," Castiel said when Dean's hips were against his ass, filling him up all the way.

Smirking, Dean answered by pulling out of him completely before slamming back in, causing a sound that could only be described as pornographic to escape Castiel's mouth.

"Let me hear you, baby," Dean breathed out as he began to relentlessly pound into Castiel.

Castiel could feel Dean's grip tight on his left thigh bruising his skin as he held onto it for leverage.

"Ah, fuck! Dean," Castiel hissed, digging his finger nails into his boyfriend's back hard enough to draw blood.

"Who do you belong to?" Dean asked, leaning down to press their foreheads together as he continued to fuck Castiel into the seat.

"You," Castiel whispered, letting out a loud guttural moan when Dean's dick hit just the right spot inside him.

"That's right, Cas. I'm the only man who makes you feel this good. Look at you, you're completely fucking wrecked and it's all because of me," Dean gritted out, his abdominal muscles flexing with each thrust of his hips.

"Dean," Castiel panted, tilting his head back submissively to expose his neck.

Accepting his invitation, Dean bit down on Castiel's jugular, picking up the rhythm of his hips when Castiel screamed his name.

"I drive you fucking crazy, don't I?" Dean asked cockily, licking the bruise he had just made on Castiel's skin. "I bet I could make you cum without even touching your dick."

"Babe, please," Castiel groaned, scratching at Dean's back, feeling blood trickling down his nails.

"You think that bastard who was flirting with you could ever turn you on the way I do?" Dean questioned, pulling Castiel's hair roughly.

"No Dean, it's only you," Castiel gasped, feeling a warm sensation wash over him.

"Cas, baby, cum for me," Dean ordered, looking him in the eyes as he bucked his hips so hard that Castiel's whole body surged upward.

"Fuck!" Castiel cried out, squeezing his eyes shut as he came without assistance all over Dean's stomach.

"Mmm, damn that was hot," Dean said huskily under his breath, giving Castiel a short, gentle kiss on the lips.

"You're so fucking incredible," Castiel told him, running his fingers through Dean's sweat soaked hair.

Giving him a wicked smile, Dean replied by wrapping Castiel's other leg around his waist, pulling the blue eyed boy forward so that his own back was against the seat.

"What are you doing, babe?" Castiel asked, now straddling Dean's hips.

Panting, he placed his hands flat against Dean's chest, looking his boyfriend in the eyes as sweat pour off them both.

"Show me what you got, Cas," Dean challenged, "Make me cum."

Not backing down, Castiel leaned forward to kiss Dean feverishly as he began to ride his dick.

"Come on, Dean, let go," Castiel coaxed.

"Fuck baby, I love you," Dean moaned, wrapping his arms around Castiel as he rocked his hips upward, meeting each one of his movements.

"I love you too, so much," Castiel gasped, sinking down onto his dick one last time before Dean came, biting his chest hard enough to break skin.

"Holy mother of fuck," Dean mumbled against his left pectoral muscle.

"That's an understatement," Castiel replied, pulling back a little to look at him.

Shooting him a goofy smile, Dean brought his right hand up to cup Castiel's cheek.

"Tell me one more time," Dean demanded, his chest heaving.

"I'm yours," Castiel replied instantly, knowing exactly what his boyfriend wanted to hear.

Satisfied with Castiel's statement, Dean responded by pulling him into a rough, possessive kiss.

**XXXX**

A couple hours later, after round two, Castiel had moved to sit up against the back door on the passenger's side of the Impala, Dean positioned between his legs so that they were back to chest. It should have been gross and uncomfortable, considering the amount of dried cum all over the both of them but they were too exhausted to care.

"Did I hurt you?" Castiel asked worriedly all of a sudden, noticing the damage he had to Dean's shoulder blades with his nails.

He hadn't realized just how bad the scratches he had made were until Dean's back was up against him and he felt blood trickling down his chest from the gashes.

"Nah, call me a sick fuck but I loved it," Dean said, turning his head slightly to kiss Castiel on the cheek.

"And you called me a masochist?" Castiel chuckled, relieved that he hadn't actually hurt Dean.

"Shut up," Dean responded lamely, settling down against Castiel.

Smirking, Castiel ran his hands up Dean's arms before sliding them across the tops of his shoulders.

"You're so tense, babe," Castiel stated, beginning to massage Dean's deltoids.

"Yeah, it's probably from watching some fuckface try to steal my man," Dean deadpanned.

"Dean, he wasn't trying to steal anything from you. Adam backed off right away when I told him I was taken," Castiel replied sternly.

"Oh it's Adam, is it? Well, doesn't he just sound like an upstanding, classy guy?" Dean grumbled, his anger surfacing once more.

"Stop it," Castiel warned. "While I can't deny that I'm partially to blame for encouraging your jealous behavior, and in most cases I find it ridiculously hot, this has gone a bit too far."

"There are going to be guys hitting on you like that all the time in California…The only difference is I won't be there to stop them and head-but their teeth down their throats if the occasion calls for it…" Dean confessed out of the blue, revealing the real problem.

"Ah, so Adam wasn't the issue, he was just a trigger. What you're really upset about is me moving to California and what that means for our relationship, right?" Castiel asked, wrapping his arms around Dean's chest.

"I tried not to worry about like you said, Cas. I really tried. But every time I think about the fact that you'll be gone in five months, it's like I can't breathe," Dean told him.

"Dean," Castiel whispered, burying his face in the crook of his neck.

"Not being able to touch you or see you for months on end is going to kill me," Dean said, reaching back to run his fingers through Castiel's hair, making him look up.

"Babe, please, don't do this…Don't make me second guess something I've wanted to do for God knows how long," Castiel begged, hot tears rolling down his face.

"Cas, baby, that's not what I'm trying to do," Dean explained earnestly, kissing his right cheek. "…I just want you to know how I feel. Up until tonight I've been keeping it bottled up and it almost led to me beating the shit out of _Adam_," he added, saying Adam's name in the most sarcastic, douchey way possible.

"Dear lord, you're such a dick," Castiel laughed, cupping the side of Dean's face with his hand as he tried to stop crying.

"Yeah, but you love me," Dean retorted, leaning into Castiel's touch.

"Yes, I do. And us being apart is going to be the hardest thing I've ever had to deal with but we're going to be okay, Dean. We'll make it work," Castiel told him confidently.

"You see? That's seriously all I needed…It's fucking crazy that all you have to do is look at me with those beautiful, genuine blue eyes and tell me everything is going to work out and I believe you," Dean said, smiling at Castiel affectionately.

"Looks like your powers of persuasion are rubbing off on me, Winchester," Castiel teased, giving him a tender kiss before Dean settled back against him.

"I guess so," Dean chuckled as Castiel resumed rubbing his shoulders. "Now, can we change the subject? We're about two seconds away from busting out a tub of ice cream and weeping while we watch Titanic," he added sarcastically.

"Excuse me, sir, but you are the one who actually uttered the words 'I just want you to know how I feel,'" Castiel teased.

"Ugh, I know. And now I have the sudden urge to go hit something," Dean joked, closing his eyes as Castiel worked at the knots in his shoulders.

"Didn't you do enough of that during the game tonight?" Castiel asked, kissing Dean's cheek.

"I'm pretty sure I was the one getting hit, not the one dishing them out," Dean retorted.

"Jesus Christ, when that guy tackled you my heart nearly dropped out of my ass," Castiel confessed, feeling the rumble of Dean's laughter vibrate against his chest.

"That was nothing baby, at least I didn't lose consciousness," Dean said, moaning a little when Castiel hit a sore spot.

"You're been knocked out during a game?" Castiel questioned.

"Oh yeah, concussions, black eyes, bloody noses, you name it. It's just a product of the sport," Dean told him, sounding completely relaxed as Castiel continued what he was doing.

"Why do I get the feeling the injuries are one of your favorite parts?" Castiel inquired, noting the content in Dean's voice.

"If you haven't noticed by now, Cas, your man likes to fight," Dean teased, cracking an eye open to look up at him.

"Oh, I've noticed, you fucking lunatic," Castiel said playfully, kissing his nose.

"Ha, coming from the guy who by definition has to be at least three brick shy of a load for falling in love with me," Dean retorted, reaching down to rub Castiel's extremely sore thighs.

Unlike Dean, Castiel was nowhere near being in as good of shape as he should be and embarrassingly enough the rough sex he had just participle in, mind blowing as it was, served as a reminder of that. Every muscle in his body ached and felt as though it were on fire, none more so than his thighs. And how Dean seemed to know just where to apply the right pressure was both a plus and a minus, making Castiel feel amazing but at the same time, distracting him from his train of thought.

"Touché, Winchester," Castiel groaned, Dean's grip sending a mixture of pleasure and pain through his body, stirring something inside him.

"Fuck baby, you ready again?" Dean asked when Castiel bucked his hips, brushing his half hard dick against his back.

"For you, I'm always ready," Castiel whispered before leaning down to bite Dean's neck.

"Whoa, you insatiable little cockslut," Dean purred, squeezing the tops of Castiel's thighs, "You gotta give me a minute."

"But I wanna fuck now," Castiel whined, sucking at the bruise he had just left on Dean's neck, making the mark bigger.

"Didn't anyone ever tell you patience is a virtue?" Dean asked, rocking back against Castiel's erection.

"I'm not feeling very virtuous right now, Dean," Castiel mocked, sliding his right hand down his chest seductively.

"Keep talking dirty, Cas. I'll have it up in no time," Dean laughed.

"…Or you could let me fuck you…," Castiel suggsted timidly, making Dean whip his head around to look at him.

"…I'm kinda partial to pitching, Cas. That's why I'm a quarterback and not a wide receiver," Dean joked.

"Let me guess? You're hesitant because it's inherently less gay to fuck someone in the ass than it is to take it in the ass, am I right?" Castiel questioned irritably.

"How in the fuck is it possible that you seem to know everything I'm thinking?" Dean shot back.

"For fuck's sake, Dean," Castiel huffed, Dean's confession thoroughly pissing him off, "I don't know how else to say this, so I'm just gonna be blunt. You're bisexual, which means that in addition to enjoying sticking your dick in tight holes of all different varieties, you might actually like taking it up the ass as well."

"I can't say having a dick up my ass sounds like a good time, Cas," Dean retorted sarcastically.

"Don't knock it until you try it," Castiel spat back.

"…Baby….," Dean sighed, looking at him like a kicked puppy dog.

"It's not just that…is it? It's your control issues too," Castiel asked, making Dean grunt in frustration.

"I'm really just an open fucking book to you, aren't I?" Dean inquired.

"Dean Winchester, are you kidding me? You are an enigma wrapped inside an enigma…What I know about you I've had to fight tooth and nail to find out. I know what you are thinking because I pay attention, babe," Castiel said, Dean now looking at him with a mix of awe and annoyance on his face.

"…Why do I get the feeling this is something you've wanted to discuss for a while?" Dean huffed.

"Because it is…I try not to push you, Dean. I don't want to make you do anything you feel uncomfortable with…but on the other hand, I want you to trust me to take control and know that I've got you. I'll take care of you, babe. Just like you take care of me," Castiel said, barely finishing his sentence before Dean's mouth was on his.

"I trust you, Cas," Dean breathed out, panting from their intense lip lock.

Then, without another word, he maneuvered himself to lie on his back the opposite way Castiel had.

"Are you sure, Dean? You're not just agreeing because you think you have to?" Castiel asked, moving to sit on his knees between Dean's legs.

"You said you pay attention to who I am, right? Well, would I ever agree to relinquish control like this if I wasn't 100% ready and willing?" Dean inquired, raising his head up to look at Castiel.

Castiel responded by grabbing the lube, making Dean chuckle.

"Pretty sure if we taped this it could be one of the highest selling pornos for people with a kink for this kind of thing," Dean added, watching Castiel slick up his fingers.

"What kind of thing?" Castiel asked, setting the bottle of lube to the side.

"You know, a 190 pound jock getting nailed by a nerdy little twink," Dean said, Castiel failing to hold back a snort.

"How about we discuss distributing a sex tape later? For now, just relax," Castiel cooed, wrapping his hand around Dean's dick, stroking it gently.

"Oh fuck, Cas," Dean whimpered, thrust into Castiel's hand.

"You ready, babe?" Castiel asked, releasing Dean's growing erection to trace his hole with his index finger, which was dripping with lube.

Nodding, Dean let out a noise somewhere between a growl and a moan when Castiel pushed inside him.

"Holy shit," Dean gritted out, feeling Castiel's finger brush against his prostate.

"Told you it felt good," Castiel teased, bending down to lick up the length of Dean's dick as he worked him open.

"Fuckfuckfuck," Dean babbled incoherently, reaching over with his left hand to grab ahold of Casitel's disheveled black hair.

"Relax, Dean," Castiel said, feeling Dean clench around his finger.

"Fuck you, Novak. How am I supposed to relax when the hottest guy I've ever met just licked my dick like a fucking lollipop?" Dean retorted, gasping when Castiel added a second finger.

"Aw, what's the matter Dean? Can my big strong quarterback not handle the way this nerdy little twink uses his tongue?" Castiel asked before swirling his tongue around the tip of Dean's dick, lapping at the pre-cum.

"Castiel, if you don't stop messing around…," Dean warned, pulling at his boyfriend's hair.

"Why am I not surprised that you're a mouthy bottom?" Castiel giggled, finally removing his fingers from Dean, causing him to curse loudly.

"I learned from the best," Dean shot back as Castiel quickly grabbed the lube to slick himself up.

"Come here, jackass," Castiel laughed when he was done, wrapping Dean's legs around his waist before leaning down to kiss him tenderly.

"Just fuck me, ya twinkie," Dean urged, smiling up at Castiel affectionately.

With a seductive wink, Castiel pushed into Dean slowly until he was buried deep inside him.

"You okay, babe?" Castiel asked as Dean reached down to grab his ass, squeezing it so tight that Castiel knew he would have bruises shaped like his boyfriend's hand prints the next day.

"I'm good, gorgeous, just move," Dean reassured him.

Doing as he was told, Castiel began to thrust his hips upward, taking his time.

"I love you, Dean," Castiel said, pleasure coursing through his veins as he continued his steady pace.

"I love you too, Cas," Dean whispered, so vulnerable and exposed as Castiel gently rolled his hips.

"I've got you, babe, just look at me," Castiel ordered softly, making Dean look him in the eyes.

"Mm, Cas, baby, just like that," Dean moaned, staring up at him lustfully with his bright green eyes full of need as Castiel continued to rock his hips, hitting the sweet spot inside him.

"Can you cum for me, handsome?" Castiel asked, using his right hand to stroke Dean's dick.

"Cum with me, baby," Dean said, kissing him so sensually that it only took one more thrust of his hips to send him over the edge, Dean not far behind him.

Collapsing onto Dean, unable to hold himself up by his aching muscles any longer, Castiel nuzzled against his boyfriend's chest after they had both worked each other through their orgasms.

"I should have known you'd be the one to passionately make love to me," Dean chuckled, rubbing circles between Castiel's shoulder blades.

"You complaining, Winchester?" Castiel asked, nipping at his tattoo.

"Not in the slightest, baby. Don't get me wrong, I love rough sex but for a guy who can't seem to stop himself from following a pattern of violence and avoiding emotions…it felt fucking amazing to have someone as gentle and compassionate as you treat me so sweetly," Dean confessed, a blush creeping onto his cheeks.

"You deserve to be treated like that, babe. Hell, you deserve to be treated like a fucking king. You are one of the most amazing people I know and you deserve affection. You are loyal and protective and righteous as the day is long, stubborn as a mule maybe, but also kind and brave. And I love you for everything you are, Dean Winchester," Castiel said sincerely, lifting up to look at Dean.

"Castiel Joseph Novak, I'm going to marry you one of these days," Dean replied, pulling him into a passionate kiss.


	29. Love Is Impatient Love Is Cruel

Ever since the night of the football game, things had been extremely awkward between Castiel and Dean. Granted, the awkwardness was 100% all on Castiel's part but he couldn't help it. Dean had told him he wanted to marry him. Dean "I'm so far in the closet I might as well be the king of Narnia" Winchester had said he wanted to make Castiel his husband. The boy couldn't even stand the thought of everyone knowing he was bisexual and yet he had thought it wise to inform Castiel of his future plans to marry him. Needless to say, Castiel was more than freaking out. However, that didn't stop him from keeping his promise to go with Dean to scope out the house he was thinking about renting that Saturday.

"What do you think, baby?" Dean asked Castiel as they walked around the very tiny, very ratty 890 square foot house.

"It's really not up to me, handsome," Castiel replied, adding the term of endearment mainly because he didn't like the way the real estate agent had looked at Dean when he had called him 'baby'.

Clearing his throat, the man showing Dean around the house pulled out his cell phone from his pocket, examining the screen as if he were trying to will it to ring.

"Please excuse me for a moment, gentlemen, I need to make a call. Perhaps you two can come to a decision while I step outside," said the man who had introduced himself to Dean and Castiel as Christopher.

"Sure thing, Chris," Dean huffed, narrowing his eyes as the real estate agent disappear through the front door. "Jackass," he added once Castiel and he were alone.

"Don't let him get to you, Dean," Castiel said, wrapping his arms around his boyfriend's neck.

It was the first time in a couple of days that Castiel had shown him any real affection and Dean jumped at the opportunity to get close to him

"Seriously though, baby, do you hate it? I don't want to rent a house you don't like," Dean stated, running his hands down Castiel's sides, stopping at his hips to massage them with his thumbs.

"You're the one that's going to be living here, babe, it really doesn't matter what I think," Castiel explained, his body starting to hum with excitement because of the way his boyfriend was touching him.

It was pathetic how much Castiel had missed the little gestures of affection they shared, a soft touch here, a tender kiss there, but with his mind clouded with troublesome thoughts from the other night he hadn't been able to allow such intimacy between them. However, he couldn't hold out any longer when Dean leaned forward, kissing him passionately, making Castiel fold like a house of cards. Opening his mouth, Castiel felt Dean's tongue find his own, the sensation causing him to produce a needy moan.

"Fuck, I've missed this baby," Dean mumbled against his lips, pressing their foreheads together. "...I've been trying to give you space…Even though I don't know why you feel you need it…But not being able to touch you for the last couple of days has been Hell," he added as Castiel grabbed onto the soft fabric of his shirt, desperate to get as close to his boyfriend as possible.

Dean might have been oblivious to why Castiel had been so distant as of late, but as it turned out, he hadn't been as in the dark as Castiel had thought. For the last two days Dean hadn't asked Castiel what was wrong, just respected his wishes when he said he didn't want to be touched, but now it was obvious that Dean knew something wasn't quite right with his boyfriend, which sent a feeling of relief through Castiel's body. He had been scared to death by the fact that Dean didn't even seem to care that he was acting odd, but it seemed that he had just been waiting for the right opportunity to say something.

"I'm sorry, Dean…I've just been a little distracted," Castiel said, pulling back to look Dean in the eyes.

"Did I do something wrong? Is this about the other night? Cas, did I hurt you?" Dean asked in a panic, the emotions he had been bottling up finally erupting to the surface.

"No, no, you didn't hurt me, baby, and the other night was fantastic," Castiel assured Dean, his heart fluttering at the fact that Dean's face lit up when he called him baby.

"Shit, Cas, I've been going out of my mind…I was terrified…I know that a lot of times in the past when I've put my hands on you it was with the intention of hurting you and I hate having to live with the fact that I used to beat the shit out of the person who means the most to me…I just want you to know that even when we're being rough in bed, I would never hurt you on purpose and I don't ever plan on using my hands to do anything but comfort you or bring you pleasure," Dean explained, the words falling out of his mouth like water from a faucet.

Unable to speak, Castiel stared at Dean, feeling the hot prickling sensation of tears forming in his eyes.

"Dean," he managed to whisper after a moment, throwing his arms around him so that he could bury his face in the crook of his neck. "I love you so much," Castiel sobbed as Dean held him close.

"I love you too baby, more than you'll ever know," Dean cooed, not letting go of Castiel when Christopher re-entered the room

"Have you…um, have you made a decision?" the real estate agent asked, visibly uncomfortable at the sight of Castiel crying into Dean's shoulder.

"Hey, Cas, baby look at me," Dean said, making Castiel lift his head up. "What do you say? If I rented this house would you consider it an acceptable place to visit? I'm not living anywhere that you won't come see me on the regular," he added, earning a small giggle from Castiel as he wiped the tears from his boyfriend's cheeks.

"I think it's cozy," Castiel stated, giving Dean one of his best smiles, "And be careful what you wish for, 'cause if you fix this place up a little bit, you might just find yourself with a roommate."

"Sold," Dean laughed, maneuvering past Castiel to shake Christopher's hand.

**XXXX**

After filling out a little bit of paper work and suffering a devastating blow to his bank account, Dean was approved for the house a couple days after Castiel and he had gone to check it out. However, it was a week later before he was completely moved in, due largely to the fact that every time he tried to get his stuff from his old house, John ended up picking a fight and Dean had to leave before things got ugly. That was why it was so satisfying to Dean when he finally got everything moved, even if all of his stuff was still in boxes, and had a place to call his own.

"It's gonna be a while before I can afford some furniture," Dean sighed as Castiel and he sat on his kitchen floor where his table should have been, an open box of pepperoni pizza between them.

To celebrate the end of Castiel being grounded, Dean had invited him over to spend the first night with him in his new house. Of course, Castiel had to lie and say he was over at Pamela's, who he now owed a favor to for covering for him, but by six o'clock Friday night Dean and he were all settled, eating dinner in their pajamas. Dean's statement from the night of the football game still lingered in Castiel's mind, but he was feeling far more at ease after they had had that heart-to-heart. And while Dean still didn't know the logistics of why Castiel had separated himself from him in the first place, he was content to let Castiel be, knowing that he would tell him everything when he felt comfortable.

"As far as I'm concerned you have the most important piece of furniture you need," Castiel said, winking at Dean before biting into his second slice of pizza.

"Would you be referring to my bed, Novak?" Dean asked, smiling over at him seductively.

Dean was sitting cross legged, his gray sweatpants covering his feet as he leaned forward to kiss Castiel on the cheek, his tan, shirtless chest firm and beautiful against the harsh background of the dingy kitchen walls.

"Indeed, Winchester," Castiel confirmed, putting his half eaten piece of pizza back in the box before closing it and pushing it aside.

Once the cardboard was out of his way, he then rocked himself up and onto his knees so he could crawl over to Dean, grabbing both side of his face with his hands to kiss him roughly.

"What do you say we put it to good use?" Dean inquired as Castiel released him so they could both get to their feet.

"I thought you'd never ask," Castiel replied, laughing loudly when Dean picked him up and threw him over his shoulder.

"It's not exactly the most romantic setting…is it?" Dean asked, entering his new bedroom.

Walking over to his full size mattress that he had set up in the middle of the room, he laid Castiel down on it gently, giving him a tender smile. Compared to the size of the room, the tiny old mattress looked puny, especially not being accompanied with a box spring but Castiel couldn't complain.

"You could take me to the North Pole and seduce me in an igloo and I'd still find it romantic because I'd be with you babe," Castiel assured him, reaching over to turn on the lamp that was on the floor next to Dean's bed.

"Come on, Novak, igloo sex sounds all kinds of romantic," Dean teased, positioning himself so that he was on his knees between Castiel's legs.

"Shut up," Castiel retorted, pulling Dean down into a kiss.

For a while, they lazily made out, running their hands all over each other's bodies until the tension between them became far more than Castiel could handle and he needed more.

"Dean," Castiel whispered, his blue eyes meeting Dean's green ones as a silent plea.

"Tell me what you want, baby, and it's yours," Dean said, moaning when Castiel rolled his hips upward.

"I want you inside me," Castiel begged, ranking his finger nails down Dean's back.

"Clothes off," Dean growled, rolling over so that Castiel come rid himself of his pajamas.

Once he had completed his mission, throwing his clothes to the side, Castiel laid on his back again, waiting for Dean to make his next move.

"Look at you, already so hard for me," Dean teased, leaning down to kiss Castiel's stomach before moving to take him into his mouth.

"Holy fuck," Castiel gasped, immediately grabbing a handful of Dean's hair as he began to bob his head.

"Feel good baby?" Dean asked cockily before swirling his tongue around the tip of Castiel's dick, a mixture of saliva and pre-cum visible on his lips.

"You have the filthiest fucking mouth, Dean Winchester," Castiel panted, pulling him up into a kiss.

Threading his fingers through Dean hair, Castiel licked Dean's lips greedily, tasting himself.

"You're one to talk," Dean moaned, biting and sucking at Castiel's mouth.

"C'mon babe, need you to fuck me," Castiel whined, reaching down to palm at Dean's erection.

"Okay baby," Dean agreed, Castiel shooting him a surprised look in return.

"Really?" Castiel questioned, raising an eyebrow.

"Really Cas. Don't get me wrong, normally I would take my time and make you beg but because of the little dry spell we've had for the last week I'm seriously aching to be inside you," Dean admitted, making Castiel's breath hitch in his throat.

"I'm sorry Dean," he whispered, biting his bottom lip.

"Don't be," Dean replied simply, looking at Castiel like he hung the moon. "I love you and I would have gladly waited as long as you needed to feel comfortable again."

Sitting up, Castiel wrapped his arms around Dean's neck, trying not to cry.

"I love you too," Castiel said, nuzzling against his boyfriend.

"Would you be okay with me taking it slow? Giving it to you nice and gentle?" Dean purred, sending a chill up Castiel spine.

"Yes, please," Castiel nearly gasped, his dick throbbing between his legs.

That seemed to be all Dean needed to hear because without another word he rolled onto his back, quickly pulling off his sweat pants and boxers before he sat up on his knees to reach across Castiel to grab the lube that was sitting next to his lamp.

"I like the fact that even though half of your shit is still in boxes, you took the time to set up a bottle of lube by your bed," Castiel giggled.

"Priorities, Cas," Dean said, giving him a wicked smile, "Plus, my house, my rules and you best believe I'm gonna make it a point to have a bottle of lube in every fucking room."

"Stop that," Castiel warned.

"Stop what?" Dean asked, cocking his head to the side in confusion.

"Stop making me think about you fucking me on every surface in this house or I'm going to cum before you even put your dick in me," Castiel whimpered, biting his bottom lip.

"Oh fuck," Dean moaned, closing his eyes and taking a deep breath.

"C'mon Dean, before we both lose it," Castiel urged, making Dean return to his previous task.

"Put both of your legs up on my shoulders," Dean ordered after slicking up his fingers.

"Do I look like a contortionist to you?" Castiel asked sarcastically, obeying Dean nevertheless.

"I know you're flexible baby," Dean said, pressing a kiss to the inside of Castiel's left shin which was now, along with his right, resting on Dean's deltoids.

"Oh fuck, oh fuck," was all Castiel could respond with when he felt Dean slip his lube soaked fingers between his legs, massaging his balls before he pressed his index finger inside him.

"Shhh, I've got you Cas," Dean cooed, working his boyfriend open.

"More, please," Castiel gritted out, Dean obliging by adding a second finger.

It wasn't long before Dean was able to find Castiel's sweet spot, making him cry out in pleasure as he rubbed his fingers against his prostate.

"That's it, isn't it baby? You love it when I do that, don't you?" Dean asked, his voice gravely as he looked down at Castiel, bright green eyes hooded with lust.

"Yes, yes, oh fuck Dean, right there," Castiel mewled, pressing himself down onto Dean's fingers.

"Fuck, you're so hot Cas," Dean panted, thrusting his fingers in and out of Castiel a couple more times before pulling them out completely.

Grabbing the lube again, Dean poured a generous amount on his hand so that he could stroke his dick, getting it nice and wet.

"You okay?" Dean asked suddenly and it took Castiel a minute to realized that he was referring to the position they were in.

"Don't worry, big boy, I'll let you know if I get a cramp," Castiel teased, Dean playfully nipping at his left leg before lining himself up with Castiel's hole and pushing in slowly.

"Mm, damn you feel so fucking good around my dick," Dean moaned once he had bottomed out, leaning forward so that Castiel's thighs were pressed against his own chest.

"Holy fucking shit, Dean, why have we never tried this position before?" Castiel asked, throwing his head back against Dean's pillow, gripping at the sheets tightly with both of his hands.

"I take it you're enjoying yourself?" Dean chuckled, curling his fingers around Castiel's thighs before withdrawing from him completely in order to thrust back into him annoyingly slow.

"Oh God, Dean, please do that again," Castiel begged, screwing his eyes shut as Dean complied, beginning to set a steady pace.

"Hey, look at me," Dean demanded after a couple minutes of downright sensual love-making.

Overwhelmed with a feeling of euphoria, Castiel had to force himself to open his eyes, moaning like a porn star every time Dean's dick hit his prostate. Once they were making eye contact, Dean smiled at him, pupils dilated, looking thoroughly wrecked. The sight was almost enough to make Castiel blow his wad right then and there.

"Cum for me, baby boy, I want to see you cum around my dick," Dean said, reaching down to stroke Castiel's erection, his voice rough and hot and everything Castiel needed to send him over the edge.

"Oh Dean, fuck yes," Castiel screamed as an orgasm washed over him, spurting cum all over his boyfriend's stomach.

Watching Castiel get off was enough to make Dean let out a loud animalistic moan as he came, harder than Castiel had even seen him before, just seconds later.

"Woo," Dean panted, letting out a deep breath through his mouth as he gently removed himself from Castiel.

Carefully, he helped Castiel put his legs down, giving him a quick kiss before rolling over to lay beside him.

"I'm going to be sore for a month but that was so fucking worth it," Castiel said, turning on his side to run his fingers through Dean's hair which was damp with sweat.

In response, Dean gently grabbed him by the wrist, kissing his knuckles before pulling him forward so that Castiel's arm was draped around his waist and his head was on his chest.

For the next twenty minutes or so, the two of them lay there silently holding each other until Dean finally found the nerve to speak.

"Um, Cas?" Dean questioned, rubbing his back between his shoulder blades.

"Yeah?" Castiel replied sleepily.

He had just about dozed off when he heard Dean address him.

"Roll over for a sec, I have a present for you and I need to go get it," Dean said, nudging Castiel to the side.

Obeying, Castiel moved off of Dean, sitting up in the bed as his boyfriend got up to rummage through on of the many cardboard boxes piled on the other side of the room.

"You bought me a present? Dean, you didn't have to do that…Aren't you running really low on money?" Castiel asked feeling extremely conflicted.

On one hand, he was ecstatic that Dean had taken the time to pick out a present for him, especially with it being a 'just because' gift, but at the same time he hated that Dean spent money on him that he could have used to buy food or gas.

"Don't worry about that, baby," Dean told him now holding a small black squared shaped box in his hand.

Castiel could feel his heart hammering against his chest as Dean made his way back over to the bed, joining him under the sheet so that both of their naked bodies were covered.

"Dean," Castiel whispered, his mouth going dry when Dean opened the box to reveal a simple but beautiful golden band.

Holding the ring in his left hand, Dean turned to face Castiel, looking just as nervous as Castiel felt.

"Castiel," he said, grabbing his boyfriend's left hand and placing it over his heart, holding it against his chest. "This belongs to you," Dean added, making eye contact with Castiel and the intensity of his gaze made him feel light headed.

"And my heart belongs to you, Dean," Castiel managed to say, realizing in that moment that there was sweat rolling down his chest because he was so nervous.

"I know baby, and I also know this might seem a little rushed given the fact that we've only been dating for three months and I know we are way too young to be thinking about marriage…," Dean stuttered, Castiel barely able to hear him over the sound of his heartbeat pounding in his ears. "But that doesn't change the fact that I love you. You are the man of my dreams and you have saved me in every possible way...," he added, his words causing tears of happiness to roll down Castiel's cheeks.

"Dean," Castiel croaked his voice raw with emotion.

However, before he could continue he was cut off in the form of Dean giving his hand a light squeeze.

"I'm sorry, I'm really nervous...Just let me do this right, please?" Dean asked and Castiel didn't have the heart to argue. "Okay, here I go," he said taking a deep breath, "What I'm trying to say is that I know you are the person I want to spend the rest of my life with. It sounds naïve and foolish but I know you're the one...So, Castiel Joseph Novak, would you make me the happiest man in the world by agreeing to marry me?"

Attempting to process Dean's words while simultaneously trying not to hyperventilate, Castiel could only watch as Dean slipped the golden band on his left ring finger.

"I..," Castiel began, looking down at the engagement ring, "Dean, I love you with all my heart and I'm honored by this amazing gesture of affection…"

"But…you don't want to marry me?" Dean asked, the hurt expression on his face sending a sharp pain through Castiel's entire body.

"Of course I want to marry you," Castiel said in exasperation, "You're everything I've ever wanted."

"Then what's the problem?" Dean inquired, clearly not following.

"Dean, you can't even tell your friends that you're bisexual…And the only people who are aware of the fact that we are together, apart from your dad, found out against your wishes," Castiel explained.

"Why does it matter if other people know, Cas?" Dean questioned bitterly.

Cautiously, Castiel thought about his answer, not failing to notice that the look on Dean's face was shades of his former self who was prone to violent outbursts.

"…How about this…It's difficult for me, despite the fact that I know without a doubt that you love me, to accept a marriage proposal from a man who is ashamed to tell the people close to him that he's with a man," Castiel said, regretting the words before he was even done speaking them.

"That was just plain fucking cruel," Dean stated in his infamous calm but infuriated tone that only he could pull off.

"Tell me it's not true. Were you planning on announcing our engagement if I said yes? Or were we supposed to plan our wedding in secret?" Castiel asked, his temper getting the better of him.

"You know what? Fuck this," Dean spat, getting up quickly to pull on his sweat pants.

"See, this is what I'm talking about!" Castiel yelled, scrambling to cover his bottom half with his pajamas so that he could run after Dean who had just left the bedroom.

Once dressed, Castiel entered the living room to see Dean fishing his car keys out of the pocket of his leather jacket.

"This is why I can't say yes, Dean," Castiel continued to shout, walking over to stand between his boyfriend and the door, "Because no matter how hard I try to get you to talk to me and beg you to face your fears instead of ignoring them, more often than not you end up running away or breaking my heart just to come back asking for forgiveness and I can't keep letting you hurt me even though all I want is to be with you."

"I get it, Cas, I'm a screw up with daddy issues and insecurities," Dean seethed, trying to get passed Castiel.

Putting his hands flat on Dean's chest, Castiel struggled to keep him in place.

"That's not what I'm saying, Dean. You don't think I've got my fair share of daddy issues and insecurities? I'm not faulting you for having problems babe. I just wish you would quit acting like they don't matter! But most importantly, I wish with all my heart that you would stop pretending to be this emotionless tough guy who couldn't give a shit less about what people think when in actuality you're terrified that they might have a negative opinion of you," Castiel said, his words barely audible because of how hard he was crying.

"Everyone will hate me when they find out I'm a fag!" Dean yelled, grabbing Castiel by his wrists and pushing him back against the front door. "I'll lose all my friends, my position as captain on the wrestling team and the football team, and everybody's respect," he added, giving Castiel a look that honest to God scared him.

"So you'd rather have friendships and people's respect based on a version of yourself that is a lie?" Castiel asked spitefully.

In response, Dean lifted up his right hand, smacking him across the face. The slap itself hurt like Hell but the real pain Castiel felt was in his heart.

"Cas…I'm sorry…," Dean whispered apologetically, releasing Castiel and taking a few steps back.

"You're a liar and coward…I so badly wanted to believe that you'd changed but at the end of the day, you're just the same old asshole you've always been," Castiel said venomously.

It was a lie, of course. He knew Dean had changed, even if it was only a little bit. Dean was kinder, gentler and up until that moment had not laid a hand on Castiel in anger for a considerably long time. In his heart, Castiel knew Dean's fear was legitimate. If he were to ever admit he was bisexual he would lose everything he had worked for as far as his sports teams were concerned and people would go from treating him like the town hero to acting as though he were a leper. Castiel was fully aware of the way gay people were treated in Anderson and he sympathized with Dean's dilemma, he really did. However, he could not stand by and be Dean's dirty little secret any longer. At first, when he had been okay with keeping their relationship a secret, he hadn't truly thought about what it meant to not be able to acknowledge the fact that they were dating in public. But when he really examined the situation he couldn't stand it. He was with Dean but he wasn't with Dean. Dean was his, but under restricted conditions and that was bullshit. He wanted Dean 24 hours a day, seven days a week, no limitations, and no holding back. And if Dean couldn't handle that then he would have to let him go, even if it would break his heart.

"You know what? You're right," Dean retorted, looking as though he were about to explode with anger. "I am the same guy I was when you decided that you wanted to start playing house with me and I haven't changed a damn bit. I just did what I had to do so you'd spread your legs for me," he jeered, trying and succeeding to get under Castiel's skin.

"You're so full of shit, Dean Winchester," Castiel seethed, his cheeks glistening with tears.

"No, it's true," Dean continued, walking forward until they were chest to chest, "And you were so fucking obsessed with me that you fell for it. Did you really think that I could ever truly have feelings for a guy? I'm Dean Winchester for fuck's sake. And you were just another slut for me to bend over. I'm not gay, you were just a challenge."

"You lying son of a bitch!" Castiel screamed, balling up fists to pound on Dean's chest, "How could you say that to me? You heartless piece of shit!"

"How could you say I haven't changed?! I've worked my ass off to better myself for you because it's what you deserve but because I don't want to sashay out of the closet with you, you're throwing a temper tantrum!" Dean yelled back, grabbing Castiel's wrists to stop him from continuing his assault. By that point, Castiel had hit him so hard, so many times that he was already developing bruises on his chest.

"Let me go!" Castiel demanded and Dean obeyed immediately.

Once free, Castiel hurried to Dean's bedroom to put on his shirt before going to the kitchen to retrieve his cell phone which he had left on the floor.

"Where the Hell are you going?" Dean asked when Castiel pushed passed him to open the front door.

"As far away from you as possible," Castiel shot back, feeling Dean's hand wrap around his bicep before he could make his escape.

"Your house is fifteen miles away Castiel and I'm not letting you walk alone on the side of the road at night," Dean said, his tone almost gentle.

"Why? Because you're concerned for my well-being? Better be careful, Winchester, that seems awfully gay," Castiel spat.

Upon hearing his words, Dean let Castiel's arm go, jerking away from him as though he had been burned.

"Fine, you want to walk home in forty degree weather like an idiot, be my guest," Castiel heard Dean say just as he slammed the door in the green eyed boy's face.

TO BE CONTINUED…


	30. Unresolved

_Author's note: *WARNING: This chapter contains erotic asphyxiation/breath play.* Moreover, this is pure filth and pretty messed up. (Don't worry though friends, Cas and Dean will address their issues in the next chapter. Fear not!) And thanks to everyone who has left comments! I truly appreciate all the support and feedback!_

As it turned out, Dean was right. Castiel hated to admit it, but the vindictive jackass had brought up an excellent point. Attempting to walk fifteen miles in forty degree weather was an extremely stupid idea on Castiel's part. Especially considering that he had been so angry before storming out of Dean's house that he had forgotten to put on shoes. So now, Castiel was in the middle of the woods in bumfucked Alabama, his toes nearly frozen, trying to find the main road in the dark. And it didn't help that in addition to it being pitch black, he could barely see through his tears as he stumbled over rocks and tree roots.

Feeling his way around in the dark, Castiel could hear Dean's words replaying over and over again in his head. It was so embarrassing to find out that Dean was all too aware of his little obsession he had with him before they started dating and it made him feel like an idiot. He had been the loser pining over the popular bad boy like so many girls, and mostly likely a few boys, before him, and Dean knew. And that newfound understanding made Castiel feel ridiculously foolish and naïve when he thought about what Dean had said regarding him being just another slut from him to bend over. The statement was humiliating and dehumanizing but Castiel was sure that was what Dean had been going for.

It wasn't that Castiel truly believed Dean had been playing him just to get in his pants, because he didn't. He knew without a doubt what Dean had said about never having feelings for him was an outrageous, and quite frankly completely unbelievable lie. The boy had just put a ring on his finger for Christ sake; there was no question in his mind that Dean loved him. But Castiel couldn't shake the terrible thought that Dean's words might have been true at one point in time. When they first started messing around, Dean had probably believed that Castiel was just a challenge, another notch in his belt, and that killed Castiel. Which in retrospect was probably why Dean had said it, because he knew Castiel well enough to know that he had a legitimate fear that Dean didn't love him as much as he loved Dean. On the other hand, Castiel felt a slight twinge of guilt in his heart because there was no denying that he had used one of Dean's fears against him as well. He was painfully aware that Dean was terrified that he wouldn't be able to change enough to keep Castiel satisfied and that one day he might leave him in search for someone better. It was a ridiculous fear for Castiel to comprehend, considering he knew personally just how deep his love for Dean was and how he didn't think there was any man in the world better than him, but he had used it against his boyfriend which he realized now was very cruel.

As he continued his trek through the woods, Castiel was too busy wallowing in misery to notice a large, jagged rock that was hiding under a pile of brush and tripped, landing flat on his face.

"Fuck!" he yelled, slowly pulling himself to his feet.

Standing up, Castiel noticed he had finally reached the road, moonlight reflecting off the asphalt, making it a tiny bit easier to see. He looked down at his hands and saw that his palms were bleeding.

"Damn it," he muttered under his breath, gently brushing the dirt off his hands.

It was then that he realized there was mud smeared on the ring Dean had given him and he hastily grabbed the hem of his shirt to frantically wipe it clean. As he worked to rid the gold of the impurity, he tried to ignore how stupid he felt for being so worried about the item that had caused the fight between him and his boyfriend in the first place.

Taking a deep breath to clear his mind, Castiel had just removed the last bit of dirt from the ring when he heard the sound of twigs snapping behind him. He whipped around to figure out what was causing the noise, his heart pounding as he stared into the dense woods he had just emerged from, catching sight of a large figure coming toward him. Quickly, he picked up the nearest object he could find, which happened to be a long, thick branch that had fallen off of one of the trees. He then raised the branch up like a bat, waiting for the figure to step into the clearing so he could mount an attack. However, much to his surprise, instead of a wild animal or a crazed serial killer, which Castiel had been expecting, it ended up being Dean who burst through the trees onto the road.

He was now wearing a green Henley, his leather jacket draped over it with his grey sweat pants bunched up around the tops of his untied combat boot. His chest was heaving as though he had just run a marathon as he walked over to Castiel who instinctively dropped his weapon.

"Jesus Christ, Cas. Your lips are fucking blue," Dean panted, quickly taking off his jacket to wrap it around Castiel.

Putting his arms in both sleeves of the jacket, Castiel pulled the material tight around his body, breathing in the scent of Dean's cologne. He hated to accept the jacket, even more so because it brought him comfort, but he knew that if he didn't get warm soon that there would be worse consequences than his wounded pride.

"Y-you l-let me get fa-arther than I thought you w-would," Castiel stammered, his teeth chattering as the wind picked up, rustling through the pine trees that lined both sides of the road.

When Castiel had walked out Dean's door he didn't think he would even make it off the porch before his boyfriend was pulling him back inside the house. It was no secret that Dean was extremely protective of him and he figured not even his anger could get in the way of that. This was why the fact that Dean had let him wonder around in the woods for almost ten minutes felt like he was just twisting the metaphorical knife that he had shoved in Castiel's heart.

"That's because I'm a stubborn, prideful bastard," Dean said before picking Castiel up bridal style.

"I c-can wa-lk, do-on't ba-aby m-me," Castiel chastised just for spite.

"You can't even put a coherent sentence together, hot shot, and I'll be damned if I'm putting you down," Dean retorted as he began to head back toward his house.

Unable to argue because he was so cold, Castiel snaked his arms around Dean's neck, nuzzling against him for warmth.

"Y-you a-are wonder-ful and ter-rible all at th-e same t-time, you k-know that D-Dean Win-chester?" Castiel asked, pressing his forehead against the side of his boyfriend's face as he made his way through the dark woods.

"I know, baby. It's a gift," Dean deadpanned, holding Castiel close.

When they finally reached Dean's house, he put Castiel down, ushering him inside where he immediately went to turn up the heat.

"I'm f-ine, D-ean," Castiel stuttered when Dean had walked back over to him and noticed that his palms were bleeding.

"Come here," Dean ordered, dragging Castiel to the kitchen where he sat him on the counter next to the sink. "I'm going to get a wash cloth so I can clean your cuts. Don't move," he added before disappearing into his bedroom.

Finally starting to thaw out, Castiel looked himself over in the dull yellow light from the single bulb that was uncovered and positioned in the middle of the kitchen ceiling. Scowling, he noticed that his pajama pants were crusted with dried dirt and slightly ripped on both knees. Castiel dusted himself off as best he could, and it wasn't long before he saw Dean walking toward him, holding a wash cloth in his left hand and a bottle of peroxide in his right with a large towel draped over his shoulder.

"Hold out your hands," Dean commanded, setting the peroxide down on the counter next to Castiel before running water over the wash cloth, wringing it out in the sink.

Starting with his right palm, Dean wiped the dirt off Castiel's hand gently, making sure the cuts were cleaned thoroughly.

"Ouch, that stings," Castiel hissed, Dean rolling his eyes as he moved to his left hand.

"That's what you get for picking a fight with a tree root," Dean retorted, now pouring peroxide over the cuts.

"It was actually a really big rock," Castiel corrected, wincing as the substance made his palms burn.

"Of course it was," Dean chuckled, moving to rinse out the wash cloth before sinking to his knees to clean Castiel's grass stained feet.

"Dean, you don't have to do this," Castiel huffed, watching as Dean used the towel he had over his shoulder to get his feet dry.

"I know, but I want to because you're my boyfriend and I love you," Dean said, making sure Castiel was completely clean before standing up and rinsing the wash cloth out once more.

"Well, I hope you don't think just because you are playing knight in shining armor that I've forgiven you, because I haven't," Castiel spat back, jumping down from the counter.

"Did I ask for your forgiveness?" Dean inquired angrily, raising his voice as he threw the wash cloth into the sink.

"No, you didn't. Because the great Dean Winchester doesn't ask for forgiveness, does he? That would make him seem weak," Castiel seethed, not backing down when Dean stepped in front of him, getting in his face.

"Enough, Castiel," Dean warned looking down at him, his beautiful green eyes clouded with rage.

"Or what?" Castiel challenged, shoving him hard in the chest.

Instead of responding, Dean shockingly attempted to take the high road and tried to walk away. However, Castiel wasn't having any part of it and grabbed him by the waist, pushing backward so that his lower back slammed against the island in the middle of the kitchen.

"Cas, I'm trying so desperately not to lose my temper…But if you don't get your hands off me…," Dean threatened, closing his eyes as though he were willing himself to stay calm.

"What are you going to do, Dean? Hit me?" Castiel taunted, pressing his body against Dean's, making his eyes snap open. "Does it make you feel like a man to slap me around?" he asked, gripping Dean's hips tight enough to turn his knuckles white.

Dean answered Castiel's question by crashing their lips together. Grabbing a handful of Castiel hair, he shoved his tongue in his mouth, licking and biting as Castiel held on to him for dear life.

"Cas," Dean said suddenly, breaking the kiss so they could both catch their breath.

Castiel wasn't sure if it was meant as a warning or a question and he decided in the end to ignore what seemed to be hesitation on his boyfriend's part. He could see that Dean looked slightly conflicted as he surged forward, laying assault to the green eyed boy's pouty, swollen lips.

"You're the one that's always going on about angry sex…Well, here's your chance, Winchester," Castiel panted, ranking his nails down Dean's bruised chest.

Not giving himself time to think, for fear that he would come to his senses and stop what he was doing, Dean quickly yanked his leather jacket off Castiel so that he could go on to remove his shirt.

"Why do you enjoy pissing me off?" Dean asked in a rough tone.

He then grabbed Castiel tightly by the shoulders, maneuvering him across the kitchen so that he was pressed up against the old, sketchy refrigerator that had come with the house. Castiel's body hit the appliance with a loud thud, making him yelp at the sharp feeling of pain and pleasure now coursing through his veins.

"The words 'masochistic bastard' come to mind," Castiel shot back sarcastically, threading his fingers through Dean's hair as the green eyed boy trailed kisses down his bare chest.

"It really is good to know that we are both equally fucked up," Dean replied, biting at Castiel's left nipple, causing him to gasp.

Swirling his tongue round the dark colored tissue, Dean reached down with his right hand, massaging Castiel's erection through his pajama pants. He moved his palm agonizingly slow, the material slick with pre-cum as filthy, animalistic noises escaped Castiel's mouth.

"For once in our relationship I'd really rather not talk about our problems. So do me a favor, just shut up and fuck me," Castiel commanded, pulling Dean's hair roughly.

"With pleasure," Dean agreed, taking Castiel by the wrist to drag him to the bedroom.

Struggling, although he didn't know why, Castiel made Dean work to get him where he wanted him. He slapped and clawed at his boyfriend, the both of them grunting and moaning as they fought, leaving bruises and scratches on each other's skin. When they stumbled into Dean's room, Castiel refused to walk over to the bed, Dean grabbing him by the hair in response to make him move. Eventually, with some effort, he was able push Castiel down onto the small mattress they had made love on just hours before.

"Look at you, _babe_," Castiel cooed, taunting Dean in a condescending tone. He was now lying on his back so that he was propped up on his elbows, his chest heaving as he looked up at his boyfriend lustfully. "So desperate to fuck me. It's almost pathetic."

"Why don't you take your own advice and shut the fuck up?" Dean seethed, dropping to his knees so he could pull Castiel's pajama pants off.

"Make me," Castiel retorted, watching Dean remove his Henley and toss it to the side.

"That's my line, Novak," Dean growled, straddling his hips before kissing him roughly.

Instead of responding verbally, Castiel drug his finger nails down Dean's back, making him moan into his mouth. Smirking at Dean's reaction, he then rolled his hips upward, grinding his erection against his boyfriend's.

"You say I'm desperate to fuck you, but it seems to me you're just as desperate, if not more, to be fucked," Dean whispered in Castiel's ear suddenly, causing his whole body to tremble.

Noticing the effect his words had on Castiel, Dean moved his lips a little lower down to his neck, sinking his teeth into his skin.

"You're so fucking full of yourself, Winchester," Castiel managed to groan, pulling Dean into another urgent, sloppy kiss.

"It ain't bragging if you can back it up," Dean shot back, nipping at his bottom lip.

"Cocky bastard," Castiel said before surging forward, taking Dean by surprise as he flipped their positions.

"That I am," Dean agreed, regaining his composure as he let Castiel pin his arms above his head. "I'm also the guy who can make you cum without even touching you and the guy whose name you scream when I bring you so much pleasure you can't even handle it. I'm the guy you belong to, the guy whose engagement ring you're wearing. So yeah, I'm cocky, but you're the reason why," he added, staring up at Castiel with a look hot enough to start a fire.

"You're also the guy who infuriates me," Castiel spat, Dean's words making him see red.

Rolling off of him, Castiel stood up from the mattress, his anger on the verge of erupting like an active volcano.

"I know baby, and I know you hate that even though I'm stubborn and arrogant and at times hateful, you still don't want any other man but me," Dean jeered, intentionally pressing Castiel's buttons as he stood up in front of him.

"Well, it seems that we both know each other's deepest, darkest secret, babe, because I know that even though you hide behind that macho man, 'I'd rather throw a punch than talk' bullshit, you like that you can be honest with me. I'm the only person you've ever been with that knows the real you. No one has ever made you feel as good as I make you feel and you don't ever want to lose that," Castiel said, barely getting the words out before Dean's mouth was on his.

As they kissed, Castiel worked to pull down Dean's pants, not stopping until he was completely naked.

"On the bed, now. Hands and knees," Dean ordered, reaching down to pump his fist around Castiel's leaking erection.

Complying without hesitation, Castiel tugged at Dean's bottom lip with his teeth before sinking down onto the mattress once more. When he was in the position Dean wanted him in, Castiel heard his boyfriend pop open the cap on the lube. He didn't have to wait long before he felt Dean roughly shove his slick index finger inside him, making him cry out.

"You like that, Dean? I'm so tight and hot, better than any pussy you've ever been inside," Castiel teased, smiling when Dean was unable to hold back a needy moan.

Unfortunately, his victory didn't last long. Seconds later, Castiel let out an equally wanton sound when Dean found his prostate, curling his finger against it.

"Yeah Cas, I do. I like stretching your greedy little hole with my fingers to get you ready for my dick. I probably like it just as much as you like the fact that this firm, gorgeous ass belongs to me," Dean growled, smacking Castiel's left ass cheek with his free hand.

"Dean," Castiel whimpered as his boyfriend continued to work him open, adding a second finger and eventually a third.

"That's right baby, be a good little slut and beg for it," Dean taunted, slapping Castiel's ass once more, this time harder.

Letting out an embarrassingly loud whine, Castiel felt Dean's fingers thrust in and out of him, stretching his puckered hole.

"Fuck you!" Castiel gritted out as he closed his eyes, desperately trying hold back a moan.

"Mmm, you know what that dirty mouth of yours does to me, Cas," Dean whispered, finally removing his fingers from Castiel to forcefully turn him over, making him lie on his back again.

Grabbing the lube, Dean poured a copious amount of the clear liquid in his hand to slick himself up as Castiel watched, eyeing his boyfriend hungrily.

"C'mon," Castiel purred, reaching out to teasingly brush his fingertips against Dean's erection.

Letting a growl escape his throat, Dean wrapped Castiel's legs around his waist and reached down with his right hand to circle the head of his dick around Castiel's entrance, teasing him right back.

"Beg for it," Dean ordered.

"No," Castiel replied defiantly, writhing under his touch.

"Beg for it, you filthy little cockslut," Dean growled, wrapping his left hand around Castiel's neck tightly.

"Fuck, Dean…Please," Castiel mewled, clawing at Dean's chest.

"Good boy," Dean praised before burying himself deep inside Castiel with one swift motion.

"Dean," Castiel gasped, feeling his boyfriend's fingers digging into the sensitive flesh of his throat.

It should have been terrifying, considering Dean's grip was making it hard for Castiel to breathe but somehow he wasn't worried. The feeling actually kind of did something for him. And that was both thrilling and frightening, not to mention utterly fucked up. He knew that somewhere down the road he would have plenty of time to reflect on just how wrong enjoying something like this was but as of that moment, he didn't give a fuck. As of right then and there, Castiel was going to revel in the feeling. He was going to enjoy it because he trusted Dean and he knew was safe.

"Tell me gorgeous, what do you want?" Dean asked, his hips pressed firmly against Castiel's ass.

"Fuck me, please, please," Castiel whimpered, shouting obscenities when Dean began to pound into him relentlessly.

"Don't you ever leave me like that again, Cas, do you understand me?" Dean gritted out, leaning forward to press his forehead against Castiel's, keeping his hand securely around his throat.

"I won't Dean. I promise, I won't," Castiel mewled, digging his nails into Dean's chest as he felt his boyfriend's right hand find his dick.

"Cum for me, scream my name like a good little bitch," Dean demanded, stroking Castiel's erection at a quick pace until his stomach muscles clenched and his vision went white.

Castiel was almost positive that he yelled Dean's name when he found his release, but he couldn't be sure as his eyes rolled back in his head and he arched himself up off the mattress. The intensity of this particular orgasm was unlike anything he had ever felt before and it actually left him a little dizzy. Nevertheless, he was completely satisfied, his whole body relaxed and humming with pleasure. It was a feeling of pure relief, like he had finally scratched an itch that, up until then, he hadn't been able to reach.

"It's okay baby, I've got you," Castiel heard Dean whisper as he pulled out, noticing the hand that he been around his throat was now tangled in his hair, Dean's fingers massaging his scalp.

"Damn it, Dean," Castiel huffed, opening his eyes to see his boyfriend looking down at him. Dean's gaze was affectionate and tender, no trace of anger left on his face and Castiel hated to love it.

"I know you still want to be mad at me, Cas," Dean said, kissing him gently on the lips. "But that's not going to stop me from taking care of you."

"You being sweet to me is the last thing I want right now," Castiel told him, despite the fact that he had just wrapped his arms around Dean's neck.

"I understand baby, and my answer to that is tough shit," Dean teased, peppering kissing all over Castiel's face.

"I love you, you mean, stubborn asshole," Castiel grumbled as Dean sat up to look at him again.

"I love you too, you emotional, sarcastic little shit," Dean replied, grabbing Castiel's left hand to bring it up to his lips, kissing his ring finger. "Now, just lay here. I'll go run you a bath," he added, releasing Castiel so he could stand up and head to the bathroom.

Sighing, Castiel stayed put and didn't argue, closing his eyes in an attempt to try to make sense of everything that had happened that night.

TO BE CONTINUED…


	31. Forgiveness is Key

_Author's note: Just a fair warning, this chapter is so damn cheesy and fluffy...I honestly don't know what came over me. Lol_

Stretching out in Dean's bathtub, a small sigh of content escaped Castiel's lips as the hot water began to sooth his aching muscles. He closed his eyes and leaned his head back against the fiberglass material of the tub and tried to think of anything but his fight with Dean. Unfortunately for him, that was easier said than done. The room was silent, apart from the sloshing of water when Castiel repositioned himself to get comfortable, and quite frankly it was unsettling after all the shouting that had happened between Dean and him. Castiel had thought it would be a good idea to just sit and be, but the longer he sat there, the more anxious he became.

And what made the situation worse was that his boyfriend, with much reluctance, had agreed to leave Castiel alone in the bathroom so he could have some time to calm down. However, it had only been five minutes since Dean had shut the bathroom door behind him and Castiel was already regretting his decision to let him go. And the feeling horrified him. That desperation, that longing to be near Dean absolutely scared him to death. Castiel should have been furious with Dean. He _was_ furious with him. Or at least that was the lie he was trying to convince himself of. Which was why he shouldn't have let Dean bring him back to his house in the first place and he most certainly shouldn't have had sex with him.

But he had. Even after Dean had said those terrible things to him, Castiel hadn't hesitated to go running back to the green eyed boy. Despite everything, Castiel just wanted to be close to Dean. Hell, Dean hadn't even apologized for what he had said and had basically refused to ask for forgiveness but Castiel was already on the verge of letting his anger go. It was pitiful. And the swirling storm of mix emotions inside him were eating Castiel alive.

Deep in thought, Castiel was startled and jumped slightly when he heard a soft knock at the door. Opening his eyes and sitting up, he saw Dean entering the bathroom with a towel, the same size as the one he had earlier but a different color, in his hand.

"I'm just going to leave this here for you," Dean informed him, sitting the towel on the counter by the sink.

"Okay," Castiel whispered, avoiding eye contact.

"Um…hey," Dean said timidly, walking over to Castiel so that he could run his fingers through his unruly sex hair. "I was thinking about going to get you some of that hot peach tea shit that you like from The Café…you interested?" he asked, smiling when Castiel leaned into his touch.

"Don't leave," Castiel mumbled in reply, grabbing Dean by the wrist.

The request was needy, he knew that. And he was mentally kicking himself before he even finished speaking the words. But still, despite the fact that he hated how helpless it made him feel, Castiel couldn't let Dean walk away again.

"Alright baby," Dean cooed.

Biting his bottom lip nervously, Castiel then released Dean so that he could scoot forward in the tub, silently asking his boyfriend to join him. Thankfully for Castiel, Dean got the hint quickly. Without a second thought, he removed his boxers, which were the only article of clothing he was wearing, before getting into the bath with him, sitting down behind the younger boy.

Once Dean was settled, Castiel leaned back against his chest, feeling his boyfriend wrap his arms around him.

"Why can't I stay mad at you?" Castiel asked after a short moment of silence, looking over his shoulder at Dean.

"Probably the same reason I can't stay mad at you…We're hopelessly in love. Honestly, it's petrifying when you think about it," Dean confessed, nuzzling against Castiel.

"Tell me about it," Castiel teased, giving him a small peck on the lips.

"Listen, Cas…I'm sorry for what I said earlier…It was cruel, not to mention complete and utter bullshit," Dean said, running his thumb over Castiel's bottom lip. "…Forgive me, please?" he asked in a low, vulnerable tone.

"Dean, you know that I forgave you hours ago," Castiel admitted, nudging his nose against his boyfriend's cheek.

It was true. Even though his feelings were hurt, Castiel had forgiven Dean almost instantly. He knew that they had both been trying to get under each other's skin earlier and he couldn't hold Dean's words against him when he had gone for a low blow first.

"How baby? How could you let me off the hook that easy? Every time I fuck up you let me get away with murder when you should just kick my ass to the curb and find someone better," Dean grumbled, lazily trailing his fingertips down Castiel's chest.

"Do the words 'hopelessly in love' ring a bell?" Castiel teased.

"Seriously though, Cas. Even people who are in love eventually reach their limit. But then there's you. I've hurt you physically and emotionally more times than I can count, yet you refuse to come to your senses and leave me. Why? Why can't you just see that I'm no good, you stubborn son of a bitch?" Dean chastised, although his tone was far from angry as he wrapped his arms tightly around Castiel once more.

Kissing his neck, Dean nuzzled against the warm flesh of his boyfriend's shoulder and it was then that Castiel noticed he was shaking.

"That's where you're wrong," Castiel stated, leaning back against him. "You've never been so wrong in your entire life. You are a good person, Dean. You work hard and you take care of other before yourself, Sam being the prime example. And let's not forget the fact that you're straight up momma bear protective over the people you care for and just because you don't think you deserve to be loved doesn't mean it's true. I wish you could look in a mirror and see the beautiful, loyal, funny and brave man I see every time I'm with you," he explained as he lifted his hands up to give Dean's arms a comforting squeeze.

"Jesus Christ…I don't understand…How can you say that after all the pain I've put you through?" Dean asked incredulously.

"It's simple. Because of all the happiness you've brought me. Seriously, Dean. You're so focused on the negative aspects of our relationship that you can't even appreciate all the positive parts. For example, the fact that just being in your presence makes me happy. You, Dean Winchester, with your candy apple green eyes, freckle covered skin and cocky little smirk, make me so damn happy it's borderline ridiculous. You always have, ever since we were kids," Castiel replied as Dean raised his head up to look at him.

"Castiel, what the hell are you talking about? I was terrible to you when we were kids," Dean stated, shaking his head in disgust.

"…Not always…I seem to recall that we were close friends once, babe," Castiel protested, looking at his boyfriend affectionately. "Do you remember my fourth birthday when my parents took us to the park?" he continued, catching Dean off guard.

"Barely Cas, I was five. Didn't we end up on the swing set for like hours? What does that have to do with anything?" Dean questioned, his eyebrows knitting together in confusion.

"It was how we ended up on the swing set, Dean. When we got to the park that day there were already two little boys swinging so you asked them to let us have a turn because you knew the swing set was my favorite," Castiel reminisced, studying his boyfriend's reaction to his statement closely.

Taking a moment, Dean looked as though he were combing through his memories when all of a sudden a huge smile spread across his lips.

"Those little assholes refused to move even when I told them it was your birthday so I bribed them with a couple of Hot Wheels and Pokémon cards in exchange for them to get lost," Dean chuckled as he recalled the occasion.

"Not just any Hot Wheels. They were your two favorite cars. And you gave them away so we could sit together on a swing set so long that our butts went numb. I can't tell you how happy I was that day and it was due largely in part to you being such a good guy," Castiel said, feeling like a total cliché for not only busting out a rom com moment from their childhood but also for starting to cry like a baby.

"You were my best friend, Cas. I just wanted you to have fun on your birthday," Dean explained, failing to hide the fact that his eyes were filled with tears as well.

"I did, Dean. And it's a memory I cherish. So you want to know how I can look you in the eyes and say you're an amazing person? That's how. Along with countless other times, from our childhood and recently, that you've shown me you are a decent, caring guy. That's why I'm willing to fight for you. Because I know that the insensitive, tough guy routine you pull is just an act. In reality, you're kind and thoughtful and yeah, it sucks that you've hurt me over the years, but in my opinion the good outweighs the bad in our relationship," Castiel told him.

"You're incredible…Completely and utterly delusional, but incredible all the same," Dean teased, earning a small laugh from Castiel as he rolled his eyes. "And I wish with all my heart I could take back every hateful thing I've ever done or said to you. You're so good to me Cas, and I'm beyond grateful for that. God, I wish I was the person you painted me to be. I want nothing more than to be the man you deserve," he added, kissing Castiel softly on the lips.

"You are Dean. I'll make you see that one day, just you wait," Castiel promised.

"Fuck baby, I'm so sorry for being such a gigantic jackass tonight. I was wrong for what I said and especially for slapping you. I told you I wasn't going to lash out at you physically anymore and I did it anyway. I betrayed your trust and for that I'm so very sorry. I know you've already let it go but you still deserve the right to accept or deny my request for forgiveness. So, I'll ask again. Cas, will you please forgive me?" Dean questioned and the sincerity in his tone made Castiel's heart flutter.

"Dean, it's okay. We both said things we didn't mean earlier out of anger. And as far as I see it, you didn't betray my trust by slapping me. Of course it was wrong of you to hit me, but you made a mistake. You're human, it happens. And I know that despite your best efforts not to, you might make a mistake again that results in me getting hurt, physically and/or emotionally. But that's also a two way street. I might do something stupid out of anger or fear that hurts you. We can't fool ourselves into thinking that we won't ever mess up and hurt each other. It's just not realistic. All we can do is try not to hurt one another and if that doesn't work, we need to do our best to apologize and fix the problem when we do," Castiel replied, causing Dean's jaw to drop.

"…Alright, that's it. Your understanding and toleration toward me is downright inhuman. A mistake, Cas? I've made a lot more than just one mistake. And I loathe myself for hitting you, even more so because I promised you I'd stop and then went on to break my word a fucking week later," Dean stated miserably.

"It was an accident, Dean. You slapped me and instantly regretted it. I saw it on your face. Besides, compared to what you would have done in the past, you actually showed a lot of self-restraint. Don't get me wrong, I'm by no means trying to make excuses for you hitting me. I'm just saying it's a step in the right direction that you are aware that slapping me wasn't the right answer. You've changed Dean. I was wrong to say you haven't. You're not the same guy that used to beat the shit out of me because it made him feel better about himself. You know that violence is not the way to settle confrontations and you've been working so hard to express your feelings in a healthy way. Not to mention, people living in glass houses shouldn't throw stones. I hit you back which was just as wrong. So to answer you original question, yes my love, I forgive you for everything," Castiel said, his cheeks stained with tears as he leaned forward to kiss his boyfriend passionately.

"I love you more than I could ever put into words, Castiel Novak. Thank you for accepting my apology and for believing in me even though I don't believe in myself. I honestly don't know what I'd do without you," Dean mumbled against his lips.

"I love you too, with every fiber of my being. I've never felt so strongly about someone in all my life. You are fascinating, charming and beautiful and at the same time untamable, infuriating and stubborn. It drives me crazy, yet draws me in. And it's like no matter what I do, I can't get enough of you," Castiel replied, making Dean pull back to look him in the eyes.

"I feel the same way about you, Cas. You're everything I've ever wanted. You're sweet and generous but you still have no qualms about telling it to me straight and I love that you aren't afraid to challenge me when I'm out of line, even if it pisses me off," Dean confessed, smirking at his boyfriend.

"Shut up, it doesn't piss you off. I think the words you are looking for are 'turns you on'," Castiel corrected.

"You caught me," Dean agreed, splashing him.

Giggling, Castiel scooped up a handful of the now lukewarm water in response and threw it over his shoulder, hitting Dean in the face. Dean then retaliated by tickling Castiel, making him squirm as he tried to fight the assault.

"Okay, okay! I surrender!" Castiel gasped between laughter.

"Ha! Victory is mine," Dean teased, kissing Castiel's neck playfully.

Letting out an over dramatic sigh, Castiel took a minute to calm down, throwing his boyfriend a dirty look over his shoulder at his celebration. Dean, being the little shit that he was, responded by giving him a big, toothy smile which was enough to melt Castiel's heart. And it was in that very moment that a light bulb switched on in his head.

"Hey, just so you know, I'm sorry too Dean," Castiel apologized, realizing he had failed to do so earlier.

"For what? Calling me out on my bullshit? Don't be, you were right," Dean replied, his happy demeanor turning serious. "How the hell is it fair for me to say that I'm willing to commit to such a huge thing like marriage when half the time I can't even accept the fact that I'm bisexual? You had every right to tell me I was being an idiot, although that doesn't change the fact that I still want to make you my husband," he continued earnestly.

"And I want to be your husband," Castiel told him, turning over slowly in the tub, making sure no water splashed over the edges, so that they were chest to chest.

"But not until I can admit to everyone, including myself, that I'm bisexual?" Dean asked, kissing Castiel's left wrist when he brought his hand up to run his fingers through the green eyed boy's hair.

"That is definitely a major factor…but I also think we should wait _at least_ a year before we go setting a date," Castiel admitted.

"Okay," Dean sighed, accepting his boyfriend's decision to wait without an argument.

"I'm sorry…I just think we're way too young to get married and I don't want us to jump into something neither of us is ready for. …I'm not saying we shouldn't get married or that I don't want to…" Castiel stammered, hoping Dean understood where he was coming from.

"Cas, I get it, seriously. You're right. You're always right. We shouldn't get married until I can be honest with myself and everyone else. Plus, while we both love each other, there is no need to rush into such a big commitment," Dean said and Castiel was extremely relieved to the words come out of his mouth.

"Thank you for understanding, Dean," Castiel whispered, peppering kisses all over his face.

"Of course, baby. Oh, and just so you know, you probably shouldn't get this wet," Dean teased, pointing to the golden band on Castiel's finger.

Castiel knew Dean's sudden concern for the ring was his way of telling him that he was done talking about their fight and his emotions without coming right out and saying 'Okay, enough of this sissy shit. I can practically feel estrogen oozing out of my pores.' And because he appreciated his boyfriend's attempt at changing the subject without being a jerk about it, Castiel played along.

"You're right. I'll get some jewelry cleaner the next time I go to the store and I'll be sure not to expose it to anymore water," Castiel promised, making Dean smile like a goofball.

"You mean you're going to keep wearing it?" Dean asked sheepishly.

"You couldn't pry this thing off my finger with a crowbar," Castiel laughed, returning Dean's smile.

In response, Dean brought his left hand up to Castiel's neck, gently pulling him forward to press their lips together. Castiel had just begun to kiss back when Dean's fingers hit a sore spot on his throat, causing him to wince. Looking down at Castiel, Dean made an 'oh shit' face as his eyes focused on his boyfriend's neck.

"Fuck, Pamela and your entire family are going to be out for my blood when they see these," Dean huffed, tracing one of the long, purplish blue bruises that had formed on his throat.

"I don't know how I'm going to explain them to my parents but mortifyingly enough, my siblings and Pamela are mildly aware that…that…," Castiel stuttered, trying to find the words.

"That underneath that innocent, nerdy exterior you're a kinky little fucker who gets off on being dominated?" Dean suggested causally, making Castiel laugh.

"That about sums it up," Castiel agreed.

"I can't lie though, Cas. I'm really surprised that you're into breath play," Dean said, continuing to run his fingers over Castiel's bruises.

"That makes two of us…but apparently I am…I liked it a lot," Castiel confessed, watching Dean carefully.

"…Me too..." Dean whispered, leaning forward to nip at Castiel's jaw.

"Have you ever tried it with anyone else?" Castiel heard himself ask.

He didn't know why he wanted to know. Castiel hated to even acknowledge the fact that Dean had been intimate with other people besides him, and yet here he was, asking him about his previous sexual encounters.

"No…You're the only one…," Dean admitted, looking him in the eyes.

"Why?" Castiel inquired, a feeling of desire stirring in the pit of his stomach.

"You know why, Cas," Dean replied huskily as Castiel shift up onto his knees so he was straddling his hips.

"Tell me," Castiel demanded, tugging at Dean's hair, making him let out a needy whimper.

"Trust, baby, it's all about trust," Dean explained, grabbing him by the waist. "You're the only one I've ever been with who I know trusts me wholeheartedly," he added as Castiel leaned down to kiss the right side of his neck, sucking at the sensitive skin.

"I do, I trust you with my life," Castiel cooed, his breath hot against Dean's cool skin, making him shudder.

"Cas," Dean whispered, his voice stripped of its usual controlled, gruff tone replaced with a gentleness that Castiel had never heard from him before. "Castiel, look at me," he ordered as Castiel pulled back to meet his eyes.

"If I could take back what I said earlier about me never having feelings for you, I would. You know that, right? You are the ONLY person I've ever truly loved and I'll probably never understand how I got so lucky to be able to call you mine. I'm awed and humbled that you trust me and love me so selflessly. It's breathtaking and consuming…" Dean panted but was unable to finish his thoughts when Castiel surged forward, laying siege to his mouth.

"I know…babe, I know," Castiel gasped, threading his fingers though his boyfriend's hair. "…I need you…Dean, I need you so bad right now," he added between hot, sloppy kisses.

"Then what do you say we rinse off in the shower and go back to my bedroom?" Dean asked slyly.

"Sounds fantastic but I'm in favor of skipping the shower and going straight to the bed," Castiel informed him, groaning loudly when Dean reached around his body to slip his right hand between his ass cheeks, circling his entrance teasingly with his index finger.

"Just be patient, baby. Taking a minute to get the grimy bathwater off us isn't going to kill you," Dean joked, smiling cockily when Castiel leaned down to kiss him again.

"Have I ever mentioned how much I despise it when you make me wait? And I particularly hate the air of dominance that surrounds you when you're like this…Oh, and that smug look you get, I hate that too," Castiel huffed, biting Dean's bottom lip hard enough that he tasted blood.

"You aren't fooling anyone, Novak," Dean moaned, biting back. "Now stand up. The faster we shower, the faster I can get you into my bed and fuck you into oblivion," he added and Castiel obeyed immediately, standing up so that his boyfriend could follow suit.

"What now, _Sir_?" Castiel taunted once he was on his feet, not failing to notice that Dean shuddered at the title.

"Better be careful, Cas. I'm starting to like the way that sounds coming out of that devastatingly sexy mouth of yours," Dean replied huskily.

"Well, I promise to say it as many times as you want…If you'd just get a move on," Castiel teased, trailing his fingertips down Dean's stomach, feeling his abdominal muscles flex under his feather light touch.

"What else do you promise to do?" Dean asked in a low growl, pressing their bodies together.

"Anything you want me to…Sir," Castiel responded sensually as he wrapped his right hand around Dean's dick, which was half hard at that point, and stroked it slowly.

"Now you're just playing dirty, baby," Dean huffed, grabbing the tops of Castiel's shoulders, his eyes shut tightly as he thrust his hips forward.

"That's the only way to play, Dean," Castiel said, continuing to pump his hand around Dean's dick, making him let out a throaty moan.

"Ah fuck…Cas, faster," Dean ordered, pressing their foreheads together as Castiel complied and quickened his pace.

"You need to cum so bad, don't you babe? You didn't earlier because you were taking such good care of me…Let me return the favor now. C'mon, I've got you Dean. Cum for me," Castiel whispered, coaxing Dean toward his release.

As Dean whimpered and moaned, Castiel reached down with his left hand to cup his balls, massaging them as he worked at his boyfriend's erection until it all became too much for him to handle.

"Fuckkk, Cas!" Dean shouted, his orgasm hitting him so hard that he ended up covering Castiel's stomach and groin in cum.

"Holy hell, the way you look when you cum is fucking awe-inspiring," Castiel breathed out, holding Dean steady as he leaned against him for support.

"Hot damn, baby, that feel incredible," Dean replied, lifting his gaze to meet Castiel's eyes.

Dean's cheeks were flushed, his pupils blown out so far that Castiel could barely see a hint of green and he looked so profoundly beautiful that it nearly took Castiel's breath away. Unable to respond verbally, Castiel wrapped his arms around his boyfriend, his erection pressing up against Dean's stomach as he leaned forward to kiss him roughly.

Pulling Castiel closer, Dean snaked his arms around Castiel's middle, making him gasp when the contact of their bodies, plus the cool, slippery sensation of Dean's cum caused fiction against his cock.

"What were you saying about showering?" Castiel eventually asked after a long, heated make out session.

"We are doing that now," Dean said firmly, not letting Castiel go as he stuck out his left foot to flip open the drain at the front of the tub.

"If you ask me, it's pointless babe. We're just going to end up all hot and sticky anyway," Castiel taunted, biting one of the bruises on Dean's chest.

"While you bring up an excellent point, I seem to recall you saying that you would do anything I wanted…Does that offer still stand?" Dean asked, taking Castiel's chin between his index finger and thumb, forcing him to make eye contact.

"Yes," Castiel whispered, Dean's smoldering gaze sending a jolt of electricity through his body.

"Yes what?" Dean growled, making his boyfriend shudder with pleasure.

"Yes, Sir," Castiel corrected himself and he could feel his heart beat quicken when Dean responded with a devilish smirk.

"Good boy," Dean cooed, "go on."

"Please, Sir…Tell me what you want," Castiel asked submissively, causing a carnal moan to escape Dean's throat.

"I want to get you nice and clean..." Dean told him, kissing his lips gently. "Want every inch of your flawless skin spotless and glowing so when I take you into the other room and throw you down onto my bed, I'll be able to watch you get filthy all over again, writhing and moaning beneath me, begging for more. I want to see sweat dripping off your entire body, want to see you covered in a warm, sticky mess of cum while I fuck you till dawn," he added, making his boyfriend labor for breath.

"Dean," Castiel whimpered.

"How about it, Cas? Ready to do whatever I want?" Dean questioned mischievously.

"Yes!" Castiel replied far too eagerly.

Raising an eyebrow at him, Dean licked his lips hungrily as he stared expectantly at Castiel.

"I mean…" Castiel began, realizing what Dean was waiting for almost instantly. "…I mean, yes Sir," he stated, his skin breaking out in goosebumps when Dean ran his hands up his sides playfully.

"Then let's get started," Dean replied in a gravelly tone, setting Castiel's blood on fire.

"Oh thank God," Castiel blurted out, making Dean chuckle as he reached forward to close the shower curtain.


	32. Falling

**_He was falling. The space around him was dark and empty as he plummeted downward, his hands desperately reaching out for any sort of lifeline._**

**_"Dean!" he yelled, his boyfriend's name the only thing he could think of in that moment._**

**_Where was Dean? Where was the man that he trusted…admired…loved._**

**_"Dean, please!" he begged, tears falling from his eyes as he continued to grasp at the darkness._**

Bolting upright in Dean's bed, Castiel heard himself cry out as he woke from his nightmare. He quickly realized that the tears he had shed in his unconscious state where quite real, wiping them away from his cheeks. With his heart pounding and sweat pouring off his body, he turned to his right side, expecting his boyfriend to pull him into a comforting hug. However, much to his dismay, Castiel found that he was alone in the bed with Dean nowhere to be found.

The last thing Castiel remembered was being wrapped in his boyfriend's arms, drifting off to sleep after Dean had made love to him over and over again until their bodies wouldn't allow them to continue. But now, the comfort and security he felt from the night before was long gone as he struggled to steady his breathing. Castiel wasn't even sure why he was so upset. The nightmare hadn't even been that intense and yet he had a feeling of sorrow germinating deep in the pit of his stomach.

"Dean!" Castiel shouted, throwing back the sheet that had been covering his naked body with a shaky hand.

Listening closely for a reply, his heart sank when he heard nothing, not even the sound of Dean rustling around in the kitchen.

Standing up from the bed, Castiel quickly walked across the room to his overnight bag that he had sat on the floor by the wall closest to the door and pulled out a clean pair of boxers and jeans. He got dress with hast before making his way over to Dean's mountain of cardboard boxes on the opposite side of the tiny bedroom, rummaging through the box that contained Dean's shirts until he found a black long-sleeve Henley and put it on. The action was sappy, and the definition of what Dean would have called a "chick-flick moment," but Castiel couldn't have cared less. He needed comfort, the warmth of the shirt and the calming scent of his boyfriend's cologne that lingered on it providing just that.

Once he was fully clothed, Castiel then grabbed his cell phone off the ground from where it had skidded across the floor the previous night when Dean had forcefully removed his pajama pants. He checked the device hopefully, praying for a message from his boyfriend explaining where he was. However, Castiel's heart sank with disappointment when he hit the home button on his cell to see a blank screen. With no new messages on his phone, Castiel put it in the front right-hand pocket of his jeans before attempting to head to the kitchen.

Unfortunately for him, Castiel hadn't even taken half a step toward the bedroom door when he felt his body break out into a cold sweat, and a sour, blistering sensation began to churn in the pit of his stomach. Bolting to the bathroom, he barely made it to the toilet before throwing his guts up. Every one of his muscles clenched and ached as he retched violently, stomach bile making his throat burn. Castiel closed his eyes tightly as he sat on his knees, his hands gripping the toilet seat, continuing to vomit uncontrollably until there was nothing left for him to throw up.

It wasn't until a couple minutes later that his stomach finally calmed down and he was able to flush the toilet, standing up slowly so that he could go over to the sink to rinse his mouth out with water. He was shaking from head to toe as he washed his face before opening Dean's medicine cabinet, scanning the shelves until he found a bottle of Listerine. Trying not to gag again, Castiel took a swig of the green liquid, swishing it around in his mouth thoroughly. He then spit the substance in the drain, putting the bottle back and closing the cabinet so that he could go on to rinse out the sink.

Once he was done, he looked himself over in the mirror to check his clothes for puke. It was then that he noticed he was extremely pale, his eyes blood shot and his neck dark blue with ligature marks.

'Jesus,' he thought, running his right hand through his disheveled hair.

On the plus side, his clothes were vomit free which was about the only positive thing Castiel had going for him at the moment.

Taking a ragged breath, he decided to go back to his previous task and existed the bathroom to go to the kitchen in hopes of locating Dean.

"Dean, where are you babe?" Castiel asked, reaching his destination to find that his boyfriend was still MIA.

Walking up to the island, he noticed that Dean had set up his radio on the marble countertop and it was tuned into his boyfriend's favorite classic rock station.

'Damn it,' Castiel thought as he scanned the empty house, a terrible pain burning in his chest. It was at that moment that he felt a wave of nausea wash over him again and a spell of dizziness made his vision blur. He knew that if he didn't sit down that he would pass out, so Castiel gingery pulled himself up onto the island, closing his eyes as he tried to steady his shaking body.

_You can spend all your time making money_  
><em>You can spend all your love making time<em>

Castiel could hear Randy Meisner of The Eagles crooning over the speakers as he sang "Take It to the Limit" and he focused on the calm, soothing melody of the song in hopes of stopping the anxiety attack threatening to ravish his senses.

_If it all fell to pieces tomorrow_  
><em>Would you still be mine?<em>

All Castiel wanted was Dean. Despite the fact that he had spent half the night with him, getting as close to the green eyed boy as humanly possible, it had been nowhere near enough. It didn't matter that just the night before his boyfriend had keep him up till some God awful hour, worshiping his body, paying close attention to every single one of his needs and desires, Castiel wanted more.

What the hell was wrong with him? Why did he feel so lonely, so incomplete?

"Hey Cas, you okay?"

Castiel's eyes snapped open when Dean's voice, his tone full of concern, reached his ears, turning his head to see his boyfriend walking through the front door with a greasy bag of fast food in one hand and a cardboard cup holder with two steaming hot drinks in the other.

"Dean!" Castiel croaked, relief flooding his mind when he saw the green eyed boy making his way over to him.

Dean barely had time to set the items in his hands on the island before Castiel had jumped off the countertop and into his arms.

"Whoa, it's alright baby. I'm here, I'm here. Just tell me what happened," Dean said, pulling Castiel into a bone crushing bear hug.

Castiel wanted to tell Dean that he had gotten sick and about his nightmare but for some strange reason he couldn't make himself talk. Instead, his grip tightened around his boyfriend as he began to cry into Dean's shoulder. He had no earthly idea why he had busted out the waterworks and if Dean had called him a sissy right then and there he would have agreed with him wholeheartedly. But Dean didn't seem the least bit concerned about Castiel acting "girly" as he probably would have put it in the past, which was good in the long run, because Castiel was finding it very difficult to stop himself from bawling.

"Cas, please…Talk to me. What happened? Are you hurt?" Dean asked frantically, stepping back to look his boyfriend in the eyes.

Shaking his head no, Castiel could feel tears streaming down his face as he nuzzled into Dean's touch when he brought his right hand up to cup the side of his face.

"Jesus Christ, your skin is on fire," Dean said worriedly, pressing his palm against Castiel's forehead and he realized then that he had a fever.

"I threw up…" Castiel finally confessed, the painful ache in his chest intensifying when he suddenly broke out into a coughing fit.

"Shit," Dean cursed under his breath, panic written all over his face.

"I'm dizzy and my head is killing me. And it feels like someone played the bongos on my lungs," Castiel explained when he got his cough under control, making the frown Dean was wearing deepen. "I'm freezing but sweating…and I'm pretty sure it's safe to say that I feel like ass," he added humorously but failed to get the reaction he wanted from his boyfriend.

"I'm taking you to the ER," Dean stated, taking Castiel by the hand in an attempt to head to the front door.

"No, I'm fine Dean…I probably just caught a cold from…." Castiel began, but immediately stopped talking when he saw an expression of pain and guilt flicker across Dean's face.

"I shouldn't have let you leave…I knew you were at risk, that you could get hurt…" Dean told him soberly, his green eyes full of regret.

"I made a conscious decision to leave knowing very well that what I was doing was not in my best interest," Castiel argued, resting his hands on the tops of Dean's shoulders. "This isn't your fault," he continued, using what little bit of strength he had to comfort his boyfriend.

"It is my fault baby. The fight we had, the fact that you're sick…I'm responsible for all of it…" Dean replied sadly, reaching up to run his fingers through Castiel's hair.

"Dean…" Castiel sighed, but Dean cut him off before he could say anything else.

"If you won't let me take you to the ER myself, at least let me drive you home so your parents can make you go," Dean teased, putting his feelings on the backburner in an effort to make Castiel smile.

"No," Castiel replied firmly and he didn't care one bit that in that moment he was a seventeen year old boy throwing a temper tantrum.

"Cas...You're white as a sheet of paper and your eyes are glossy…You need to see a doctor," Dean told him softly, wiping away the beads of sweat that had pooled on his forehead.

"No. I want to stay here with you," Castiel said, causing Dean to shake his head even though he didn't argue any further.

"Let's get you back to bed," Dean sighed and Castiel was beyond grateful he didn't put up a fight because he wasn't sure he could have stood there any longer without passing out.

Walking hand in hand, Castiel and Dean made their way to Dean's room where Castiel quickly got into bed.

Dean, sitting to his right, helped him cover up, making sure he was tightly bundled. Under any other circumstances, Castiel would have been none-too-happy about the fact that he was being wrapped up in a bed that was disgusting to say the least, the sheets and blanket stained with dried cum and reeking of sex, but in his current state he couldn't even complain. He just wanted to get warm and if that meant nestling down in Dean's filthy bed, then so be it. Besides, it wasn't like he was the poster child for personal hygiene at the moment. Although he had on clean clothes, Castiel's body just as gross as the covers he was wrapped up in.

"Is one of those drinks in the kitchen my peach tea?" Castiel asked suddenly, looking up at Dean with a small smile.

"Yeah, want me to get it for you?" Dean questioned, stroking Castiel's cheek with his thumb.

"Please?" Castiel answered and Dean wasted little time nodding his affirmative before getting up and disappearing into the other room.

Folding the pillow he was using in half, Castiel had just propped himself up when his boyfriend re-entered the small, dimly light room holding a disposable cup in each hand.

"Here baby," Dean said, taking his seat next to Castiel once more as he handed him his tea.

Taking the drink for Dean, Castiel blew on the steaming liquid before taking a small sip. The hot tea felt amazing on his sore throat and he sighed contently after swallowing a couple more gulps.

"You went to get us breakfast?" Castiel asked wryly, sitting the cup in his hand down on the left side of the bed.

"Yeah…Cold pizza didn't sound that appealing so I thought I'd get us some hash browns and sausage briskets," Dean explained and the mention of food in such detail made Castiel want to vomit, despite the fact that his stomach was now completely empty.

"Oh God…Please don't talk about food right now…" Castiel pleaded, fighting his gag reflex.

"I'm so sorry Cas. This is all my-" Dean started to say but Castiel held up his hand in protest.

"Stop, just stop. I can usually tolerate your 'self-hate, I'm to blame for everything, low self-esteem' bullshit but I'm too fucking tired and too fucking sick for it right now. This is NOT your fault. We fought, both of us said hurtful things, and then I, being an intelligent, capable human being, left on my own volition despite the fact that I knew it was cold and I could get sick. So for the love of all that is holy, Dean Winchester, stop acting like such a fucking martyr," Castiel scolded angrily.

Staring at him wide-eyed and in shock, Dean's jaw dropped open as he blinked at Castiel a couple of times, like he couldn't comprehend what his boyfriend had just said. Castiel sat there expectantly, but it was a good two minutes later before Dean finally found his voice.

"…Damn Cas…" Dean breathed out as Castiel looked at him nervously, expecting a harsh reply.

It was no secret that even though Dean had come quite a long way with not only expressing his emotions, but also recognizing his flaws, that he was still in denial about most of his issues. This was why Castiel was gearing up for a total and utter meltdown.

However, it never came.

"Aren't you going to yell at me and tell me that I'm out of line and don't know what I'm talking about?" Castiel asked timidly, receiving a gentle but wry smile from Dean.

"Don't get me wrong, I want to…but I know it would be a waste of time. You know me Cas, better than I know myself. You've always been able to see through my bullshit so why should I try to argue?" Dean inquired and this time it was Castiel's jaw that dropped.

"You know…You know that I don't think less of you because of it, right?" Castiel questioned as tears began to form in his eyes once again.

He hated that he couldn't keep his emotions in check but he was perfectly content to blame it on his illness. Everybody got a little emotional when they are sick, or at least that was the excuse Castiel was going with.

"Trust me Cas, I know. And you don't just tolerate it…You try to help me overcome it, you try to help me with all my issues and I'm lucky to have someone who cares enough to try to fix me…Even if I don't think I'm worth fixing," Dean said before leaning forward, his cup of coffee long forgotten on the floor as he kissed Castiel passionately.

"Dean, you'll get sick," Castiel mumbled lamely against his boyfriend's lips.

"I don't give a flying fuck," Dean chuckled, shifting so that he was lying on his stomach on top of Castiel.

In response, Castiel could only whimper with need as he felt Dean's right hand come up to his neck, his fingers tracing the bruises he had made there. He knew Dean loved that he had marked Castiel like that, leaving large dark colored contusions on his skin for everyone to see, claiming him as his own. And even though he was aware that it was wrong and a little bit twisted, Castiel couldn't deny that it turned him on too.

"Promise me you'll stop blaming yourself for this, please?" Castiel asked suddenly, looking up into Dean's bright green eyes.

"I'll do my best, baby. But I'm afraid that's the only promise I can make," Dean admitted and Castiel appreciated his honesty.

"I guess that's better than nothing," Castiel teased, kissing his chin.

"Hey, can I make a confession?" Dean inquired, smirking down at Castiel.

"…Go ahead," Castiel replied skeptically.

"You telling me off was hot. Like, I wished you would have ripped off my clothes and fucked me into submission, hot…" Dean told him, causing Castiel to let out the most explicit, wanton sound he'd ever made in his entire life.

"Dean," Castiel mewled, his body refusing to react even though his mind was working overtime.

He could feel Dean's erection, half hard, pressed against his stomach as his boyfriend rolled his hips to create the friction he needed.

"It's okay, baby…" Dean panted, realizing that Castiel wasn't aroused.

Not wasting any time, Dean sat up and turned sideways so that he could stretch his legs out on the floor with his ass still on the mattress. In this position he was facing away from Castiel, but it was the only way he could sit comfortably in his current state.

"I'm so sorry Dean…It's not that I don't want you, believe me. My body just isn't cooperating…," Castiel explained, pushing back the covers so that he could sit up on his knees, snaking his arms around Dean's neck so that they were back to chest.

"I understand, Cas, promise," Dean told him, shivering when Castiel placed a kiss to the left side of his neck. "You look like death for Christ's sake. I shouldn't have come onto you. I mean, it's not like I didn't just spend most of last night fucking that tight, sexy little ass of yours," he added, making Castiel laugh despite how terrible he felt.

"You are filthy and insatiable Dean Winchester. And if I was in better shape we'd be naked and fucking like rabbits by now," Castiel whispered huskily in Dean's ear.

"Cas, fuck…I…I'm going to have to do something about this," Dean whined, looking down at his crotch, his erection visible through his jeans.

"It's okay babe, take care of yourself," Castiel told him, reaching down to undo the button on Dean's pants.

Not moving from his position behind him, Castiel watched as Dean pulled his jeans and boxers down to his ankles to reveal his dick, heavy and dripping with pre-cum.

"Talk to me, Cas," Dean ordered, leaning back against his boyfriend's chest as he wrapped his right hand around his erection.

"What do you want to hear, Dean?" Castiel asked, biting at Dean's neck, causing him to moan as he began to stroke himself.

"Anything baby, just want to hear that sexy voice of yours," Dean replied, his back muscles flexing when he swiped his thumb over the head of his dick, teasing himself.

"You know, Dean, I have a confession to make of my own," Castiel stated, laying his palms flat against Dean's chest, rubbing his pectoral muscles through the material of his shirt.

"Oh yeah? What's that?" Dean panted, closing his eyes.

"Remember when you brought up that you were going to make it a point to have a bottle of lube in every room of this house and it got me thinking about all of the potential surfaces I'd love for you to fuck me on?" Castiel asked, earning a guttural moan from Dean.

"Yeah?" Dean replied, pumping his hand faster around his erection.

"Well, when I started running through the list…I realized the place I want you to fuck me the most isn't in any room of this house," Castiel explained, his heart beat quickening when he saw the effect his words were having on his boyfriend.

Dean was pressed up against him, his head resting on Castiel's right shoulder as he panted and writhed in his lap. His eyes were shut, making his long, beautiful lashes easier to see and there was a look of pure bliss on his face, his cheeks heated and flushed. It was so out of the ordinary to see Dean this, to have him let go and surrender himself to Castiel. And it was glorious. The way Dean looked right then was so satisfying to Castiel that for a moment, he forgot to speak.

"Cas, please…Tell me where you want me to fuck you?" Dean begged, reaching down with his other hand to massage his balls.

"Can you guess, Dean? It's somewhere you consider near and dear to your heart," Castiel said before sucking at the bite mark he had made on Dean's neck.

"…Uh…" Dean mumbled, his rhythm flattering ever so slightly as he tried to think of the location Castiel was alluding to. "…Wait…the Impala?" he asked, his voice strained.

"Bingo," Castiel confirmed, turning his head a little to the side to kiss Dean's lips.

"But…Cas…We've already had sex in the Impala," Dean pointed out, arching his hips up slightly as he got closer and closer to his release.

"True…" Castiel agreed, nuzzling up to Dean's ear before saying, "…but not on the hood."

"Fuck!" Dean shouted, feeling Castiel's arms wrap around him as an orgasm hit him hard, thick white ropes of cum spurting all over his hand and the floor.

"That's it babe…Feels good doesn't it?" Castiel asked lustfully, watching Dean work himself through his release.

"Mmhm," Dean groaned, his eyes finally fluttering open when he had taken all he could get.

"You're so fucking beautiful, Dean," Castiel told him, his voice gravely and low as he reached over to grab his boyfriend's right hand, bringing up to his mouth to lick his fingers that were coated with cum.

"Motherfucker," Dean wheezed, biting his bottom lip to stop a moan the threatened to escape his throat as he watched intently as Castiel licked him clean. "Make sure to tell the medical examiner that that right there was the official cause of my death when they are filling out the necessary paper work," he added when Castiel finally finished his task.

"Sorry…You just taste so good," Castiel teased, pulling Dean into a heated kiss.

"Don't apologize, baby. I couldn't ask for a better way to go," Dean joked back after a short make out session.

"You're such a dork," Castiel chuckled, nuzzling against him.

"Yep, but I'm your dork," Dean retorted, shooting Castiel a bright smile.

"Yes you are, and just so you know? We are totally revisiting your 'rip off my clothes and fuck me into submission' statement when I'm feeling better," Castiel informed him.

"No argument here, sweetheart. I'm actually looking forward to it," Dean replied coyly.

"Whoa, did you just voluntarily admit that you want to bottom?" Castiel questioned incredulously.

"Indeed I did, gorgeous. I've been having all sorts of nasty thoughts about you bending me over and showing me how my nerdy little twink can use his dick to make me scream," Dean growled, nipping at Castiel's jaw.

"Fuck Winchester, what's gotten into you?" Castiel asked, wishing with all his might that his dick would get the fucking hint and start paying attention.

"When you get healthy, the answer will be you," Dean teased.

"Can't wait," Castiel told him, a cocky smirk tugging at the corner of his lips.

"Good. Oh, and don't think we aren't addressing the fact that you fantasize about me fucking you on the hood of the Impala," Dean stated, his eyes hood with lust and Castiel could tell he was thinking about them have sex on his car.

"Don't worry babe, we are definitely going to talk about that as well," Castiel reassured his boyfriend.

"So it's official, when you get over your cold we are going to spend all our free time fucking and doing a little bit of kink exploring on the side," Dean chuckled, looking back at Castiel with a huge grin on his face.

"Sounds like a plan, Winchester," Castiel confirmed, returning Dean's goofy smile.

"Fuck Novak, I need you better…Like yesterday," Dean joked.

"You and me both, Dean," Castiel retorted.

In response, Dean kissed him once more, reaching back to run his fingers through Castiel's messy black hair.

"Good lord, if someone were to look up the definition of 'horny teenagers' in the dictionary, I'm pretty sure they'd find our picture," Castiel laughed, rubbing Dean's stomach soothingly.

"What's love without a little passion, Cas?" Dean questioned philosophically.

Rolling his eyes, Castiel tried not to laugh as he pressed a kiss to Dean's temple. "That was deep, babe," he mocked.

"Shut up," Dean grumbled playfully before moving to cover his bottom half so that he could get up. Once on his feet, he didn't bother to button his jeans as he turned to face Castiel, smiling down at him.

"Take a picture, Winchester. It'll last longer," Castiel taunted after a few minutes under Dean's gaze.

"…Are you wearing my shirt?" Dean asked suddenly, ignoring Castiel's sarcastic comment.

"…Yep…" Castiel answered sheepishly; giving Dean the best smile he could muster in spite of the burning, nauseating feeling trying to consume him.

"Lay down, you little thief," Dean ordered, squatting so he could help Castiel get covered up again. "You're pale as a ghost," he added when Castiel was wrapped up like a burrito.

"I really am sorry I couldn't…You know…" Castiel said, referring to the fact that, even though he had been completely turned on by the events that had just taken place, his dick had barely responded.

"Castiel, you're sick. There is nothing for you to be sorry about," Dean assured him, standing up once more. "Besides, it's not like you didn't cum for me over and over again last night like the dirty little slut you are," he teased, making Castiel giggle.

"I was good for you last night, wasn't I, Sir?" Castiel asked sensually.

At that, Dean's breath hitched in his throat as he looked down at Castiel, his green eyes sparkling with desire.

"You were amazing baby boy, you always are. Now, close your eyes and get some rest," Dean told him, his tone full of affection.

Feeling his eyelids becoming heavier and heavier the longer he lay there, Castiel couldn't argue with Dean's order and before he knew it, he was out cold.

When Castiel woke up again it was due to the fact that Dean was gently shaking his shoulder. Opening his eyes slowly, the delicious scent of food reached his nose and he soon noticed that Dean had brought him a bowl of soup.

"What time is it?" Castiel asked looking around to see that it was significantly darker, which warranted Dean turning on the lamp in his bedroom.

He then focused his gaze on Dean who was now changed out of his street clothes and wearing nothing but a pair of red plaid boxers. His hair was damp and he smelled like Dial and it was clear that he had just recently showered.

"Five minutes past six," Dean informed him, helping Castiel sit up before handing him the soup and a spoon.

"Shit, my parents-" Castiel said, starting to panic but Dean shushed him.

"I've got it all taken care of, Cas. I called Gabriel and told him you were sick and too stubborn to leave so we put our heads together and came up with a plan. He was able to convince your mom and dad of some bullshit story about you staying another night at Pamela's because you haven't seen her in a while. I even texted your mom from your phone asking permission just to be safe. And then I let the ice queen know that she had to cover for you for one more night…She seemed thrilled to hear from me by the way," Dean explained, the worry that Castiel felt slowly draining away with each word.

"That's quite the conspiracy you've orchestrated, Winchester," Castiel teased, stirring the soup Dean had brought him before taking a small bite.

"What can I say, Novak? I don't think you realize just how far I'd go to keep you safe and out of trouble," Dean confessed, sitting down in his normal spot on the right side of the bed so that he was facing Castiel.

"I do though…" Castiel told him earnestly. "Thank you Dean," he added as Dean leaned forward to give him a peck on the lips.

"You're welcome, Cas," Dean replied, checking his forehead while Castiel eat another spoonful of soup. "You still have a fever…and no offense but you look like hell," he continued, looking at Castiel sympathetically.

"None taken…I feel worse," Castiel admitted, sitting the bowl of soup down on the floor next to the bed.

He was starving and the soup was amazing but his stomach was already trying to rebel after only a couple of bites. Castiel could felt a wave of nausea wash over him as he fought the he urge to cough, mainly because he knew it would hurt like a bitch.

Sadly, he wasn't able to hold out for very long and began to cough violently. His lungs burned as he hacked up a bunch of yellow colored mucus, spitting it into a tissue from the box of Kleenex Dean had set by the lamp.

"Please let me take you to the ER?" Dean begged.

It was evident that he hated to see Castiel suffer like this and desperately wanted to help.

"I'm fine…" Castiel said stubbornly but he had to lay back down for fear of passing out.

"What can I do, baby?" Dean asked.

"Could you…rub my neck and shoulders? I think I have a tension headache…" Castiel inquired pitifully.

"Of course I can. Do you think you could take off your shirt? It'd be easier that way," Dean said, getting up to walk over to the mound of cardboard boxes on the opposite side of his room.

Watching him with mild interest, Castiel nodded before sitting up gingerly to pull Dean's Henley over his head, tossing it to the side. He then rolled over onto his stomach, wrapping his arms around the pillow he was using before settling down against the mattress.

"What are you looking for?" Castiel questioned eventually, looking over at Dean who had just pulled out a small bottle of something from the box he was rummaging through.

"Lotion," Dean told him, holding up the item in his hand.

"Dean Winchester, mechanic by day, massage therapist by night," Castiel teased as Dean made his way back over to him, sinking to his knees when he reached the bed.

"Wow, even when you are sick as a dog you're still a sarcastic little shit," Dean laughed, sitting the lotion down on the floor.

"You love it," Castiel shot back.

"Very true," Dean agreed. "Hey, do you mind if I sit here?" he asked, playfully smacking Castiel's left ass cheek.

"Be my guest," Castiel said, looking over his shoulder to watch Dean straddle his hips so that he was perched on his ass.

"Lay down and relax," Dean ordered reaching over to grab the lotion, opening it and pouring some in his left hand.

Complying, Castiel rested his head against the pillow, closing his eyes as Dean rubbed his hands together, warming up the lotion. Dean then placed both of his palms flat on Castiel's lower back, applying just the right amount of pressure before pushing them upward. When he reached Castiel's shoulder blades, Dean worked at the knots bundled around the muscles, making the boy beneath him moan softly.

"That feels…fantastic," Castiel breathed out, feeling Dean's strong callused hands working at his deltoids, relieving some of his pain.

In response, Dean brought his right hand up to the base of Castiel's skull, massaging it firmly with his fingertips.

Castiel couldn't stop himself from moaning again, this time a little bit longer as the action made his skin break out in goosebumps.

"Cas, maybe I should stop…" Dean whispered, leaning down to kiss Castiel's neck.

It was then that he realized Dean was hard, his erection brushing against the small of his back.

"Damn it…I hate being sick…" Castiel whined.

The last thing he wanted was for Dean to quit what he was doing, but he was in no condition for them to go any further.

"I'm sorry baby," Dean cooed, rolling over to lie next to him.

Propping himself on his left elbow, Dean continued to rub his boyfriend's neck, despite what the breathy little noises coming out of Castiel's mouth were doing to him.

"It's okay, Dean…Thank you for taking care of me," Castiel managed to say, arching into Dean's touch as he hit a sore spot, working at it until all the pressure he felt was released.

"You're welcome, Cas…Feeling any better?" Dean inquired, hearing Castiel's breath becoming shallow as he relaxed under his fingers.

"Mmhm…" Castiel replied sleepily.

"You ready to go back to bed?" Dean asked, releasing his neck so Castiel could roll onto his back.

"Yeah…" Castiel mumbled vulnerably, "Can you lay with me? …I want to be in your arms."

"Sure Cas," Dean replied, draping his arm over Castiel's waist, positioning himself in such a way so that half his body weight was on the younger boy, holding him down, which oddly enough, gave Castiel a sense of security.

"Sorry I wasn't able to eat much of the soup..." Castiel said from out of the blue, wrapping his arms around Dean's middle and nuzzling into his shoulder.

The way they were laying should have been uncomfortable and constricting to Castiel but he loved it. He loved feeling Dean's body pressed against his, keeping him grounded and safe.

"It's really okay, Cas. I just thought you might be hungry and I figured soup would be your best bet at keeping something down," Dean explained, kissing Castiel's forehead.

"It's tomato rice…" Castiel observed as he fiddled with the elastic on Dean's boxers.

Castiel knew very well that tomato rice soup was what Mary Winchester used to make Dean when he was sick and he was beyond honored by his boyfriend's gesture of affection.

"Yeah…" Dean said, looking down into Castiel's blue eyes which were glossy but still full of awe and innocence.

"I love you," Castiel told him, meaning it with all of his heart.

"I love you too, Castiel," Dean replied before kissing him hungrily.

"Dean, babe, my lungs can't handle this right now," Castiel huffed, coming up for air.

"Shit, my bad," Dean chuckled, settling down against his boyfriend.

After that, they both just laid there silently for a while, taking comfort in each other's presence. It wasn't until Dean started to doze off himself that he finally reached over Castiel and switched off his lamp, leaving the full bowl of soup on his floor to be dealt with in the morning.

Cuddled up against Dean's body, Castiel was on the verge of falling asleep when a frightening thought popped into his mind.

"Hey…Promise me something, will you?" Castiel asked desperately, breaking the silence between him and his boyfriend.

"What is it, Cas?" Dean inquired, Castiel feeling his right hand coming up to rub his chest.

"Promise me you will be here in the morning? …I don't want to wake up without you next to me again…" Castiel confessed.

"Cas…Is that why you were so scared this morning? Because I wasn't here when you woke up?" Dean questioned his voice heavy with guilt and sadness.

"…I had a nightmare…I needed you and you weren't there…And I guess when I woke up it just really messed with me that you weren't by my side…" Castiel told him, feeling Dean's body tense.

"Damn it…baby, I'm so sorry. I…," Dean stammered, embracing Castiel as tight as he could without hurting him.

"Dean, it's okay…It was a nightmare, it wasn't real…Besides, you were just trying to do something nice by getting us breakfast. You couldn't have anticipated that I would wake up scared, or sick for that matter," Castiel said, blindly placing kisses all over Dean's face.

"You had a nightmare about me not being there for you when you needed me, Cas…How am I supposed to handle that?" Dean inquired and Castiel could hear the devastation in his voice.

"Oh Dean, I didn't mean…I wasn't telling you that to make you feel bad…" Castiel tried to explain, feeling like a complete jackass.

"I know…" Dean replied after a short pause, "…it just kills me to know that…"

"It was one bad dream, babe...probably just residual feelings left over from our fight, it didn't mean anything," Castiel told him, holding Dean close.

"I want to be there for you Castiel…Whenever you need me I want to be right by your side, helping in any way I can…Just like you do for me," Dean declared earnestly.

"I know, Dean…" Castiel cooed, "I believe you."

"And I'll be here in the morning, when you wake up I'll be right here," Dean promised, nuzzling against Castiel.

"Thank you," Castiel said happily, loving that Dean was so close to him, holding him steady.

"Of course. You're mine and I want to take care of you," Dean explained, kissing him softly on the lips.

"I know babe…I'm yours and I know you will take care of me and keep me safe," Castiel breathed out, his boyfriend words like a match setting fire to gasoline.

"Say it one more time, Cas," Dean demanded, nipping at Castiel's bottom lip.

"I'm yours," Castiel told him and he could feel Dean smirking against his mouth.

"I love hearing you say that," Dean replied huskily.

"And I love saying it…but not as much as I love you," Castiel stated as his eyes slid shut, unable to fight his exhaustion any longer.

"I love you too, baby boy. And I promise I'll be right here in the morning when you wake up," Dean whispered, his words soft and comforting, coaxing Castiel into a deep, restful sleep.


	33. The Last Straw

The sun had just begun to rise on Sunday morning when Castiel was startled awake by someone calling Dean's name and knocking furiously at the front door.

"What the fuck?" Dean grumbled sleepily, rolling over so that Castiel and he were no longer wrapped in each other's arms.

"Dean, that sounds like Sam," Castiel replied in a panic, his voice hoarse and scratchy because his throat was sore.

Bolting out of bed, Dean quickly ran to the living room to answer the door when he realized that it was indeed his little brother shouting for him. Castiel on the other hand, due largely to the fact that he felt worse than he did the day before, could not move as fast as Dean. Using all his strength to get out of bed, it took Castiel a good minute to even stand up.

Once he was finally on his feet, he put back on the shirt he had borrowed from his boyfriend and then hobbled to the other room where he found Sam in Dean's arms, crying uncontrollably.

Stumbling over to them, he soon realized that Gabriel was there as well, standing quietly by the front door looking uncharacteristically sympathetic.

"Gabe? What's going on?" Castiel asked in confusion as Dean held Sam close, whispering to him soothingly.

"…I'm not sure, kiddo…Sam just showed up like that at our house this morning…." Gabriel explained somberly, walking over to Castiel so that he was standing in front of him. "You look terrible, by the way," he added before pressing his palm flat against Castiel's forehead, checking him for a fever.

"Showed up like what? Crying?" Castiel inquired, batting Gabriel's hand away.

"…Yeah…And with the bruises…" Gabriel all but whispered, looking over at Dean nervously.

Following his brother's gaze, it was then that Castiel noticed that the look on his boyfriend's face was downright murderous. Despite how gentle he was being with Sam, Castiel could see that Dean was fighting against ever instinct in his body not to go ballistic.

"That lowlife, disgusting piece of shit that calls himself our father hit my baby brother," Dean seethed, addressing Castiel suddenly.

However, before Castiel could answer, Sam pulled back from Dean's embrace to look up at him, his eyes filled with tears and said, "…I'm okay, Dean…It's not that bad…"

Getting a good look at Sam for the first time since he entered the living room, Castiel could tell with certainty that Sam was lying. It was really bad. Sam's left eye was completely swollen shut and there was blood trickling down his chin, his white pajama shirt stained with the red liquid.

"You're not okay, Sammy. But I swear I won't ever let that _bastard_ touch you again. You're staying with me from this point on," Dean stated as a matter of fact.

"Really?" Sam croaked out, salty tears streaming down his face.

"Really kid," Dean replied just before Sam pulled him into another hug.

"Well on that note, it looks like my work here is down," Gabriel said uneasily as he tried to make his way to the door.

"Novak, hold up. Take Castiel with you and get him to an emergency room," Dean barked, making Castiel's heart drop into his stomach.

"No, I want to stay here with you," Castiel protested.

"Whoa, baby brother. Ease up with the separation anxiety or the only doctor I'll be taking you to see will be a shrink," Gabriel teased, but Castiel wasn't entirely convinced he was joking.

"Cas, baby, you need to go with Gabriel. I would take you to the ER myself but I need to stay with Sam," Dean explained.

"I'm not going anywhere," Castiel shot back stubbornly.

Planting his feet, Castiel held his ground as he witnessed something in Dean snap. In a flash, Dean released Sam before marching over to stand in front of Castiel, staring him straight in the eyes. It was Alpha-male posturing bullshit but slightly intimidating nonetheless. However, Castiel would be damned if he was going to back down. He wouldn't let anyone, not even the boy he loved, try to order him around like Dean was attempting to do at that very moment.

That was not to say, however, that he didn't sympathize with his boyfriend's situation. Castiel honestly couldn't blame Dean for losing his cool. If roles were reversed, he would have been just as livid.

"Castiel, you are going to get medical attention and that's final," Dean gritted out.

"Really Winchester? You're trying to use an intimidation tactic on _me_, of all people?" Castiel questioned condescendingly.

Narrowing his eyes, Dean let out a loud sigh. And it was then that Castiel realized just how stressed he looked, the evidence of his concern written all over his handsome face.

"For once baby, just once, could you not be a sarcastic little shit and just do as I say?" Dean asked as he brought up his hands to cup both sides of Castiel's neck, massaging the bruised skin with his thumbs.

"…I want to stay with you…" Castiel whispered, the vulnerability in his voice making Dean surge forward to pull him into a warm, comforting hug.

"I know, Cas…And trust me, I want you to stay…But you have to see a doctor," Dean told him between placing kisses along his neck and jaw.

"…This is so weird and slightly uncomfortable to witness…" Gabriel chimed in all of a sudden, earning a barely audible giggle from Sam.

"Can it, asshole," Dean jeered, stepping back from Castiel to shoot Gabriel a dirty look.

"…You really love Cas, huh Dean?" Sam piped up. "You're so…different with him."

"Yeah, Sammy. I really love Cas," Dean confessed, his tone honest and sincere. "And that's why I _really_ want him to go to the ER," he added, giving Castiel a desperate look.

"…Okay babe, I'll go," Castiel agreed, letting out a sigh of defeat.

"Thank you baby. Call me when you get a diagnosis?" Dean asked, pressing a chased kiss to his boyfriend's lips.

"Of course. I love you, Dean," Castiel whispered, wrapping his arms around him for one last hug.

"I love you too, Cas," Dean replied, squeezing him tightly.

"Okay Romeo and Juliet, knock it off. I seriously threw up in my mouth a little bit watching this overdramatic nonsense," Gabriel complained as he turned away from the couple to head to the front door.

Ignoring Gabriel's comment, Dean stepped back from Castiel once more so that he could hold out his hand for him.

Taking it, Castiel allowed Dean to walk him to the door, reluctantly letting him go when he had to step outside.

"Bye baby," Dean said sadly.

"Bye Dean…I'll call you later," Castiel replied, his voice trembling as he watched Dean shut the door, leaving him and Gabriel alone on the porch.

"Dear God, baby brother. You're going to the ER not Liberia, c'mon," Gabriel huffed, tugging Castiel toward his Prius.

Once they were both in the car and their seatbelts were fastened, Gabriel pulled out of Dean's driveway and headed toward town.

"…So…I'm assuming that there is an awkward, most likely traumatizing, explanation for the gnarly bruises around your neck, right?" Gabriel asked after a couple minutes on the road.

"Yeah, Dean and I tried breathplay," Castiel replied nonchalantly, his illness preventing him from being embarrassed and completely taking away his brain to mouth filter.

"Jesus, dude. That's really fucking dangerous," Gabriel scolded, shooting him an agitated sideways glance.

"It's not a big deal, Gabe. I trust Dean," Castiel told him before breaking out into a coughing fit.

"Yeah, I got that…It's kind of scary how much you trust him, to be honest…" Gabriel admitted, reaching over to pat his little brother on the back while the younger boy tried to get himself under control.

"W-what do yo-u m-ean?" Castiel wheezed, his cough subsiding but leaving his lungs aching and sore.

"…All that 'I want to stay with you,' soap opera level bullshit that you just spouted out back there…You sounded a tiny bit obsessive, bro," Gabriel replied hesitantly, causing a frown to tug at the corners of Castiel's lips.

"…It's just…I didn't…" Castiel stuttered, trying to find the right words.

He knew that his brother was right. The way he was behaving was by no means healthy and yet he couldn't help himself. Ever since his boyfriend had told Gabriel to take him to the emergency room there had been a voice deep inside Castiel's subconscious screaming at him not to let Dean out of his sight.

And that was when the realization of why he was acting so clingy hit Castiel like a runaway train.

"…In the past…whenever Dean and I have had to go our separate ways after having a big fight or a breakthrough in our relationship…He's always ended up ignoring me for weeks afterward because he's terrified of his emotions…And every time that happens we have to start from square one when he decides to come back around," Castiel admitted, glancing over at Gabriel to see that he was gripping the steering wheel tight enough to make his knuckles turn white.

"…So leaving just now…Potentially set you up for a huge set back in your relationship depending on how the asshole decides to deal with whatever happened between you two over the weekend?" Gabriel asked, sounding half annoyed, half sympathetic.

"Pretty much…" Castiel sighed.

"Damn Cassie. You must really have some strong feelings for that douche bag. 'Cause I'm ready to dump him and he's not even my boyfriend," Gabriel teased, earning a small giggle from his little brother. "Which one was it, by the way? A big fight or a breakthrough in your relationship?"

"We had a fight and a breakthrough…both of epic proportions," Castiel confessed as he held his left hand up so Gabriel could see the golden band on his ring finger.

Catching sight of the engagement ring, Gabriel's eyes nearly bulged out of his skull and he had to swerve to keep from running his Prius off the road.

"IS HE FUCKING INSANE?!" Gabriel shouted, grabbing his little brother's hand to examine the ring.

"…I didn't say yes," Castiel explained, becoming slightly annoyed when Gabriel let out a long, dramatic sigh of relief.

"Oh thank God. I knew you were smarter than that," Gabriel chuckled, finally releasing Castiel's hand.

"I wanted to though," Castiel told him and once again Gabriel nearly killed them because he turned his attention to his little brother and flagrantly disregarded the road.

"Are _you_ insane?!" Gabriel asked, narrowing his eyes at Castiel.

"I love him, Gabe. If the situation were different and Dean was able to let go of his internalized homophobia and admit to everyone that he loves me, I'd be asking you to be my best man right now," Castiel explained, causing his big brother to shake his head.

"…Castiel…Please tell me you see how toxic this situation is? I mean, you basically just told me that because of Dean's bullshit you just spent the last two days clinging to him like a koala would to a fucking eucalyptus tree instead of going to the doctor," Gabriel huffed, absolutely hating to see his little brother so hurt and upset.

"…I know, Gabe…" Castiel agreed, hanging his head in shame.

"I'm so sorry Cassie…I wish I knew how to help you…" Gabriel whispered, reaching out to pat his little brother on the shoulder.

On the verge of tears, Castiel nodded his appreciation but remained silent.

For the rest of the drive the two of them barely even looked at each other, both unsure what to say or do about Castiel's heart wrenching predicament. And if he was being honest with himself, Castiel was downright ecstatic when they finally reached the emergency room and he was able to get out of the car and away from his older brother's sense of pity.

**XXXX**

As it turned out, Castiel had pneumonia.

And on top of that he not only had to make up a lie about how he caught it to sooth his parents' suspicions, but he also had to think of an explanation as to why he had come home Sunday wearing Dean's shirt and was covered in bruises.

Neither of his excuses were any good to boot, and it was no secret that his mother and father were none-too-happy with him despite the fact that they couldn't definitively prove that their son was lying, especially when he had Gabriel and Pamela backing up his alibi.

Furthermore, to add insult to injury, as a product of his illness Castiel's doctor had put him on bed rest. And that was why he hadn't been able to see Dean for an entire week. Or at least that was what he was telling himself.

Of course, he had called Dean Sunday afternoon like he had promised and the two of them had been texting on and off for six days straight, but something was different.

Dean claimed the reason he couldn't come visit Castiel was because he had his hands full with his father's bullshit, taking care of Sam, and schoolwork, and while Castiel was inclined to believe him, he still felt neglected.

Despite the fact that Castiel had told Dean multiple times that he really wanted to see him, the other boy wouldn't budge. He just glossed over Castiel's requests with declarations of love and well-wishes.

And it didn't help his situation that Castiel was such a push-over when it came to the smooth talking, handsome green eyed boy. He should have called Dean out, he should have told him he was upset because they hadn't seen each other in so long but he didn't. He just told his boyfriend that he missed him and that he wished he could be wrapped his arms instead of lying in his bed alone. However, Castiel's lack of ability to be outright angry with the other boy didn't stop him from brooding over Dean's decision to keep his distance.

Perhaps it was just a side effect of being sick and all of the unresolved issues between the two of them finally catching up to him, but Castiel couldn't help but feel as though Dean was purposing avoiding him like he had done so many times before.

And that pissed Castiel off.

It pissed him off that he was so paranoid about Dean potentially deciding to just up and leave him, especially after everything the two of them had been through. Plus, he was infuriated that the boy he loved had planted that seed of doubt in his mind in the first place. He shouldn't have been scared to death that Dean was going to leave him just because they hadn't seen each other in a few days. It wasn't like they hadn't been in contact for Christ's sake! Yet, there he was, letting his nerves get the better of him as he dwelled on horrendous thoughts of the boy he loved reverting back to his old homophobic, asshole tendencies.

Which was total and complete bullshit.

Castiel was so tired and so done with having to worry about something in their relationship going wrong. Dean had been right, relationships were by no means supposed to be easy, but they were definitely not supposed to be _this_ difficult.

Needless to say by Friday, Castiel was beyond livid and a whole new level of hurt. Not to mention he was going absolutely stir crazy from being cooped up in his house while trying to get over his illness.

He needed to get some air, to go for a walk, anything to blow off some steam.

"Can I borrow your car to go to the store?" Castiel asked Gabriel almost the second the older boy walked through their front door.

Just arriving home from work, Gabriel sat his briefcase down by the couch before addressing Castiel.

"Why don't you tell me what you need, my sickly little brother. I'll go get it for you," Gabriel teased.

While it was true that Castiel was feeling a lot better than he had the day he was diagnosed with pneumonia, he was still quite sick and Gabriel didn't want him going anywhere looking as pale and as weak as he did.

"I appreciate the offer, Gabe but I'd really like to go myself. I desperately need to get out of the house for a while," Castiel told him, giving his older brother a pleading look.

"Really, bro? Are the dewy, sad eyes necessary?" Gabriel huffed in response.

"Please, Gabe? I've just been sitting in my room thinking about Dean and coughing up a lung…I can't take it anymore," Castiel nearly cried, his body shaking.

"…Shit…Alright, just be careful," Gabriel sighed as he handed Castiel his keys.

Gabriel couldn't bring himself to argue with his brother, not when he knew just how much the younger boy's relationship issues were eating him up inside.

"Thank you," Castiel said sincerely, taking the keys before walking around his brother to open the front door. "Could you tell mom and dad where I went if they get home before I get back?" he asked, grabbing his jacket off the rack to the right of the doorframe.

"Of course," Gabriel agreed, shooting his little brother a wink.

Giving him a small smile in return, Castiel shut the door behind him and made his way over to Gabriel's car.

Getting in the Prius, he settled down in the driver's seat, pulling the seatbelt across his body when he realized that he had forgotten his phone in his room.

'Fuck it," Castiel thought after contemplating going to get the device for a moment. It wasn't that far of a drive to the store and he was too damn exhausted to walk all the way back in the house and up the stairs to his room.

Besides, the fact that he was so unsure and nervous about Dean and his relationship had him feeling pretty disinterested in having any sort of contact with people at the moment.

Putting the car in reverse, Castiel backed out of his driveway slowly and when he was on the street he shifted gears into drive, heading toward the store.

As he reached the main road, he was pleasantly surprised to find that even though it was a Friday night, traffic wasn't terrible. And in less than no time, Castiel was pulling into the parking lot of the store.

Quickly, he found a parking spot and entered the large, old building, grabbing a basket so that he could head to the isle that housed the tissues.

Putting a box of Kleenex in his basket, Castiel then made his way over to the juice isle in order to get himself some V8 Splash.

Checking juice off his mental grocery list, he turned the corner at the end of the isle, accidently finding himself among two rows of bottled liquor.

Having no use for any of the items in that part of the store, Castiel spun around hastily, not realizing that there was someone behind him until he ran smack-dab into a large, solid figure.

"Sorry sir," Castiel said automatically, his mouth going dry when he saw none other than John Winchester standing in front of him.

"_You_," John growled, his eyes clouded with hate as he glared at Castiel. "You're the reason my boy moved out!" he shouted and Castiel could smell the strong scent of alcohol on his breath.

"I can assure you, Mr. Winchester, that was all your doing," Castiel shot back as he tried to maneuver himself passed the older man.

"Bullshit! You changed him, turned him into a…a…" John seethed, grabbing Castiel by the arm and squeezing tightly.

"A _what_, Mr. Winchester?" Castiel asked sharply, narrowing his eyes at Dean's father.

"A faggot, just like you! You messed with his head!" John yelled.

"That's ridiculous!" Castiel retorted, suddenly losing his temper. "I hate to break it to you, _sir_ but Dean was bisexual long before we started dating and will continue to be bisexual whether we are together or not!" he added, barely having time to comprehend what was happening before John punched him in the face.

"You're disgusting! And you've corrupted my son!" John slurred, the force of his blow causing Castiel to drop his basket.

"You son of a bitch!" Castiel gritted out, shocking John at just how fast he recovered from his assault as he surged forward, pushing the older man back against the shelf behind him.

Several bottles of liquor fell to the ground on impact, the glass shattering at their feet but Castiel could have cared less. He was too furious to pay the items any attention as he grabbed John by the collar of his shirt, blood trickling down his chin as he got in the older man's face.

"Listen to me, and listen well, you drunk bastard," he ordered, his voice shaking with rage. "It is not your right nor your place to tell Dean who he can and cannot love. That is a decision that is entirely up to your son and if you had an ounce of respect or love for him you would let him be himself and accept him for who he is. Dean is a wonderful person, you stupid piece of shit. And I pity you for not being able to see that."

"_How dare you?!_" John began to yell but was silenced by Castiel slamming his head back against one of the metal shelves.

"How dare I? That's rich! You're the one that has made it nearly impossible for Dean to express his emotions and because he is so worried about what you think, about what everybody thinks, our relationship has suffered and almost failed so many times despite the fact that we love each other dearly. You have managed to ruin your son and my chance at happiness! How dare I? No John Winchester, how dare you?!" Castiel ranted, the two of them staring holes into each other as a crowd of people started to gather around.

"Castiel, Mr. Winchester? What's going on here?" one of the store clerks asked, approaching the two of them with caution.

Of course Castiel had to go ballistic in a place where everybody knew him. Normally he would have been embarrassed about not being able to control his emotions but not this time. He was face to face with the man he blamed for the majority of his boyfriend's intimacy issues and he was going to give him a piece of his mind.

Fuck small towns and fuck bigoted assholes.

"What's going on is that I'm beyond tired of homophobic pricks like this motherfucker telling me that I'm not good enough and that I don't deserve to have a chance at love because I'm gay. That's bullshit and I won't stand for it any longer," Castiel spat, giving John one last shove before he let the older man go and stormed out of the store, leaving his juice and tissues long forgotten on the titled floor.

**TO BE CONTINUED…**


End file.
